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Computer & Email
Get the Most from Microsoft Outlook
Beware the Empty Inbox
Get the Most from Your Handheld
Do Digital Organizers Save Time - Or Waste It?
Efficient E-mail Habits
Transitioning from Paper to Digital Information Storage
Faxing Without Paper Saves Time
Working From Two Offices
Business & the Office
Time Tactics for the Office
Keeping Track of Delegated Tasks
Controlling Interruptions
Keeping Track of Your Customers & Prospects
Do Your Employees Really Need Customer Service Training?
Paper Management
Action Files Prevent Desk Clutter
Reclaim Your Desktop with a Tickler File
What To Do With All Those Business Cards?
Managing Project Folders - A Surprising Tip that Works
Time Management & Organizing
The Power of Planning Ahead
Words of Wisdom You Should Ignore
Coping with Information Overload
Thirteen Tips for Working Smarter, Not Harder
© Jan Jasper; 2001-2008
Henry David Thoreau once said, "Things are in the saddle and ride mankind." Today, INFORMATION is in the saddle and it's
riding us into the ground. Information overload is a serious problem today. We are overwhelmed with information. We fear
that if we don't read it all, we'll miss something really important. So we pile it, unread, and the piles keep growing.
We won't discard the unread magazines or books, no matter how long they've been sitting there. We want to hang onto them because
"it's good information." But realistically, the only way we can "catch up" is to spend our next three vacations doing nothing but
reading. Most of us aren't willing to do that.
Help for Information Hoarders
Time to face reality, then. People talk as if information has mystical power - as if the act of buying a book or magazine is enough. But information
is not absorbed through osmosis. You must take the time to read it. Until you read it, information has no value. None! I'm an info-maniac myself, so it
took me a long time to understand this. Once I did, a huge burden of impossible expectation was lifted from my shoulders.
You can get some reading done in odd moments: waiting for appointments, riding the train or bus. But most of us could benefit from a regular weekly reading
time. You don't have time? Bump something else from your schedule.
Prioritize
If you still can't get caught up, your only choice is to reduce the amount of reading material you bring into your life. Cut back on your purchases of
books, magazines, and newsletter subscriptions. This can be difficult, because it forces you to face that you will never have time to do it all. But this
hard-nosed realism enables you to make conscious decisions about what you will read - which is better than leaving it to chance.
Important magazine and newsletter articles should be clipped and filed by topic so you can find them later. If you don't file it, you won't be able to
find it when you need it. You'll probably forget you even have it. Such information does you no good - you may as well have thrown it out in the first place.
Be very selective about what you save and file. Surveys have found that 80% of files are never looked at again. And often, by the time you need to use
the information, it's outdated. If you are selective enough, you probably won't need to buy that extra filing cabinet.
To Scan Or Not To Scan
"Putting it in the computer" will not, in itself, solve the filing problem. Clients often ask me if they should scan information that, upon a closer look, they
don't even need to save! The more selective you are about what you keep, the better off you'll be - regardless of whether you file the old-fashioned way or
electronically. Often, the time needed to file an article outweighs any possible benef
Think Before You Acquire
People often buy books and magazine subscriptions because they're on sale - then they never get around to reading them. A bargain price alone shouldn't
prompt you to buy anything. If you don't have time to read it and use it, a low price tag does not increase an item's value. Buy only what you have a
strong interest in - and the time - to read.
Remember: You can always buy more stuff, but you can't get more time. And a clutter-free environment is priceless.
This article is available to reprint if you include my copyright notice and identify me as follows: "Jan Jasper, a productivity expert in the New York City
area, is the author of Take Back Your Time: How to Regain Control of Work, Information, & Technology (St. Martin's Press)."
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About the Author:
Productivity coach Jan Jasper has been helping busy people work smarter, not harder since 1988. Her customized approach guides clients to manage time,
tasks, and information more effectively. She also provides Microsoft Outlook customization for clients. Jan is the author of
Take Back Your Time: How to Regain Control of Work, Information, & Technology (St. Martin's Press).
She recently completed a North American media tour as the national efficiency spokesperson for IKON Office Solutions,
Inc. She has appeared on radio and TV all over North America and is quoted regularly in print. Jan is an adjunct instructor at
New York University.
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