Internet users generally are all suffering from Information Overload, not just Internet Marketers. Even the casual surfer gets bombarded with information in text, pictorial,audio and video. How do we process all this information in a useful way?

The most basic approach is to organise our time and give priority to tasks and topics. For example, what is the first thing you do after you turn on the computer? Do you open your email, launch your browser and check the news stories, open up your favourite online game like bookworm or freecell, or go straight to your blog and work on a new post? Whatever your priority, when you finally get down to reading then the faster you can do it, the more progress you can make towards completion. How fast do you read? How much do you comprehend? How much can you take at a sitting.

 I remember reading somewhere that the information age is doubling the amount of knowledge every 5 years. I see stuff in my children’s school science books, that was university level, back in the day. In 1973, graduating from Massey University after 5 years of  study, where we were required to digest huge amounts of information, mostly text and pictorial, the academic side of a very hands-on practical profession in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, I increasingly found myself with a mental block towards the written word. I became very unwilling to read professional journals and textbooks, which was a necessity for continuing education, and when I did force myself to read anything, I found my attention span was very short. I felt that I was fighting a losing battle against the proliferation of knowledge.  

 Finally after several years of mental constipation, it became such an issue for me that I did a speed-reading course. I had to ‘unlearn’ my reading habits instilled from my childhood.  Like ‘sub-vocalisation’, which is when you say the words mentally or even verbally as you read; re-reading because of losing the place on the page; focussing on too small a section of text, and many other revelations. This really did open my mind to accelerated learning and gave confidence that you can continue to learn about new subjects quickly, and that in fact your intelligence can increase through better understanding of any subject you care to study.

Such knowledge should empower you to embrace the challenges of building an online business, with an enjoyment of the process of gaining the new knowledge and understanding. Audio and video information should make it even better for us, as long as the presenters make them fun, informative and relevant and respect that our time is as valuable as theirs.

I will be posting a review of three experts in the field, so if you are interested in giving your brain a spring clean, please sign up to my blog and I’ll let you know. Until then, here’s to life in the Fastlane of the Information Highway.

ciao jj