Information overload is a serious concern if you’re new and just starting to build a business. There’s so much information out there and it’s extremely difficult trying to wade through it all to figure out which information is going to help you in your situation. Everybody’s a “guru” (just ask them) and they have the end-all be-all answer to all of your problems.

It All Leads To Information Overload

As I mentioned yesterday, I’m going to be discussing my new journey building a business. When I started out a year or two ago trying to build my own business, I began to look around for information products to help me get a head start. Once I started looking, I quickly became overwhelmed with information and offers. Holy cow, talk about information overload! It’ll make your head spin.

The problem is there are so many “gurus” out there. Everybody claims or implies they’re an expert. By all means, some are. They’ve been there and done that, and they have the success and bank account to prove it. Most of the people you’ll come across, though, are hoping to get to that point with your help by buying their product. Unfortunately, many of them don’t have the first clue how to actually get there, and therefore don’t know how to really help you get there, either. I know this feeling well, that was me for over a year!

The difference with me now, though, is that with the programs that I’ve invested in and learned from, and the help of my coach/mentor to hold me accountable and tweak some things here or there, I’ve gotten to the point where I’ve kinda got this thing figured out. But I remember how I started out, and my goal is to write in terms those new people will understand so I can help them “get it” before they get too far in their journey and get frustrated. So how do we overcome information overload as a new guy or gal?

7 Steps To Avoid Information Overload

There are 7 steps to take that can help you avoid the mass confusion that comes from information overload. The steps are fairly simplistic, but they’ll help you to step outside of your current situation to view things from a little different perspective and help you make a better decision on the things that will help you in your business. Here they are:

1. Take a step back. It’s very easy to get caught up in the shuffle and in the moment and make a hasty or emotional decision. STOP! for a minute and take a step back. This will allow you to make a more rational decision based on how things will affect your current situation.
2. Narrow Your Focus. You have to know what you’re trying to accomplish at this point in your journey. If the information you’re looking at isn’t going to help you accomplish that specific goal RIGHT NOW, then you need to walk away from that information for the time being. You can come back to it at a later time when it may help you accomplish another goal in your journey.
3. Set small, short-term goals. It’s all well and good to talk about narrowing your focus, but you have to set small, short-term goals to know what you need to focus on. You have to know where you’re going before you can figure out how to get there.
4. Take consistent action. A lack of consistent action is a killer in most new businesses starting out. So much so that it’s going to be a topic of discussion for me in the near future. You have to be consistent in your actions to have any chance of building momentum.
5. Measure your performance. It’s important to check your progress and measure your performance. Are you moving in the right direction? Is the information helping you to accomplish your short-term goal? If you’ve strayed off course, is it because of the information or have you made a mistake in implementing the information? These are all important questions that you have to answer for yourself to make sure you’re still on the right path.
6. Make adjustments. As you move along your journey and measure your performance, you have to make adjustments to the things that aren’t working. It’s going to happen. You’re going to stray off course a bit for one reason or another. You have to make the necessary adjustments to bring you back to the path you’re supposed to be on.
7. Expand Your Actions. This is important because it’s helps you accelerate your business, but it has to be done properly. When you’ve narrowed your focus to a topic, you need to get really good at that topic before adjusting your focus to another area. You don’t have to be an absolute master, but you have to be good and competent. Once you’ve reached that point, expand your actions into another area, but only one, so that you can become competent there, too. Don’t make the mistake of trying to take on too many areas at one time, or you’ll find yourself facing information overload all over again.

You can make this work for you. Follow these steps to avoid information overload and you’ll find your journey will quickly become easier. Information overload and not knowing what information to focus on is one of the biggest frustrations faced by new marketers.

Take a minute and leave a comment below. Let me know about a situation where you faced information overload and how you overcame it. What are your thoughts on it? Also, take a minute and catch up with me on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks!