Overloaded? Try an Information Fast

Posted on June 20, 2016 by Ken Abrams, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.

Imagine the sweet craver abstaining from sugar, prohibited from even eating fruit until balance is restored in the body. Imagine the initial cravings, the edginess, withdrawal symptoms.

It could be just as difficult at first to take a break from ingesting information. As a culture, we’ve grown accustomed to consuming vast quantities of facts, figures and current events. An information fast could be just what you need to restore your own balance.

Just think of the sources of information we mainline every day: newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, books, blogs, websites, email, social media sites, podcasts, RSS feeds, discussion lists, reports, white papers, teleclasses, conferences, workshops, presentations. The list goes exhaustingly on.

We are stuffing our minds and, like the sugar hound, we think we like it. They’re interesting, all these things we learn, the world events we follow.

But what do we miss when there is almost no time that we are quiet with our own thoughts and self-generated activities? How much better could we focus on our tasks at hand, working faster and more productively, and how would that add to our lives? What might we discover that is more important than the mountain of information we take in every day?

The steps below can help you create more balance around information. Begin with a full fast, and then add things back in a strategic way, taking care to add only what truly serves you.
For example, Tim Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Work Week, now spends only two hours a week on email!

Make a list. Write down every source of information that comes to you automatically or that you voluntarily tune into. Refer to the partial list of info sources above to jog your awareness, and don’t forget the cute email “forwards” that family members send you.

Turn it off. Turn off the morning talk show as you dress for work and NPR while you commute. Take a pass on the evening news or your favorite interview show. Switch the podcast from productivity programs to rock & roll music.

Unsubscribe. Be ruthless. If after a week or month you still miss emails from a particular person or organization, you can always re-subscribe. Get on no-call and no direct-mail lists.

Make another list. This time, list all the things you love to do, especially those you say you never have time for. Keep this list visible. When you free up time and mental space, you’ll be more able to pursue your interests and hobbies.

A complete information fast need only last a week or two, but the balance it restores will last a lot longer. To get through the initial “withdrawal” just keep focusing on what you want in the bigger picture of your life.

Tango anyone?

Ken Abrams is a Personal and Business Coach and Trainer who works with successful people who want to take their life and business to the next level! Ken has coached more than 300 entrepreneurs, executives, managers, sales professionals and coaches. He conducts both individual and group coaching sessions over the phone and in person, and customizes each coaching plan to meet his clients’ needs. Ken, a member of the International Coach Federation, is a Master Certified Coach, trained by CoachU, the largest, oldest and most highly regarded coach training program in the world. Ken is a teacher and curriculum author for the school. Ken is also an international speaker and works with clients all over the globe.