Strategies for dealing with information overload

[Dave Baker]

But I can never seem to find the time to read them all. And putting them in a 'to be read' folder does not work as I never get back to them.

Tell it, brother. Information overload. How can I make it easier to digest, in the BenefitsLink retirement and health & welfare newsletters? Narrow the focus even further somehow, by topic or audience?

One strategy I use is to create folders in my bookmarks, in the Steven Covey way (I think): I, II, III and IV.

If I see something in a newsletter that I want to read and it's both urgent and important, I click on the item and then bookmark the resulting web page in the "I" folder. I need to go through it by the end of the day. (I haven't figured out a way to bookmark a "favorites" folder in Firefox, though. I'd like to stick a bookmark on my desk.)

If it's important but not urgent (i.e., would increase business or be a valuable contribution to the community, but it doesn't have a short deadline), it goes in the II folder. I try to schedule time to go through the II folder.

Stuff in "III" is urgent but not important... e.g., I can get a new piece of interesting software if I use the coupon by Monday (the software would be nice to have, but not really important to have). Maybe I'll get to it if I get through I and II, but I won't feel like I've missed an important opportunity if I don't get to it.

And IV is stuff that's neither urgent nor important. Maybe it's something that caught my eye because one of these days I might find it to be important (if my business takes a different direction, etc.).

I basically never get to stuff in III or IV, but it makes me feel good to have stuck it somewhere

Of course, it's not necessary to click on every item. Skimming is perfectly OK; click on only a couple that look like candidates for the I folder. Don't get stressed out because you can't analyze every item. You can always use the search engine (http://benefitslink.com/search) if you want to circle back about some issue. (Though I need to improve it further, I know.)

Another tip is to try to "handle" something only once. Putting stuff in a "look at this eventually" folder means you end up handling it twice.

[Appleby]

Great tips Dave.

Thanks

I think I will do the same for my E-Mail programs by setting up similar folders