“I have gone to hundreds of these types of sites but still not making money. I downloaded these free ebooks and bonuses but then what do I do with them? Frustrated.”
This is a support ticket I received last week. Does this situation sound familiar to you? I’m sure it happened to you when you were a newbie.
For those of you who are still going through this phase of internet marketing, I’m going to share with you my advice on managing information overload.
Did you notice that I said “this phase” of internet marketing?
Yes, it’s a phase that every newbie will go through. Some survived through this phase. Some are defeated.
Ok, here are my tips on managing information overload:
1) Information Overload Is Good!
Always tell yourself that “information overload is good”.
You see, the truth is, there are only two things that separate you from getting what you want.
The first thing is INFORMATION. The second is ACTION.
So if you are overwhelmed with information, you should be thankful, not frustrated.
2) Get Your Feet Wet
With an overload of information, what you need to do is to TAKE ACTION.
As the old saying goes, you can’t learn to swim without getting your feet wet.
Information will forever be overloading unless you INTERNALIZE the information. And the only way to internalize information is to use it repeatedly.
If you don’t have a website, start one. If you haven’t started promoting any program, start promoting one. You’ll face challenges as you go along. This is when you dig out those pieces of information in your harddisk and see how to put them into practice. In other words, this is when you start internalizing the information.
You will waste some time. You will lose some money. These are just part of the process of getting your feet wet.
3) Mind Your Own Business
The more information you internalize, the more savvy you become. Eventually you will reach a stage when you start to “mind your own business”.
When you start minding your own business, you’ll begin to know how to filter information.
Imagine you being a train station where loads and loads of cargo (information) will reach your station. When you are new, you tend to take in all the cargo because you think they are all important and relevant. But as you start minding your own business, you’ll be selective and take in cargo that can help you grow your business.
As I said, information overload is GOOD. Imagine you being a train station with no cargo train passing by….. (Did you know that all successful people in the world convert themselves into a power train station. They want more trains to pass by so that they can have more selections.)
Note: Newbies can’t start minding their own business from day one. They have to go through the ‘information overload’ phase and the ‘getting your feet wet’ phase. Reason: they have too little information and experience to decide what their own business is. So if you are a newbie, get your feet wet first.
4) Always Take An Inventory Of What You Know / Have
My last advice for managing information overload is to make it a habit to take an inventory of what you already know or have.
If you understand how the universe works, you’ll know that everything happens for a reason and is intended to help you achieve what you want.
At any point of time if you feel lost, always look around you and see what is it that you know or have that can help you to move on. You’ll be surprised that the last piece of information you need is right there with you.
Again, that shows that information overload is good.
Sometimes, we need to ‘fail’ in order to have a deeper understand of what the gurus have said.
‘There is no failure but only feedback.’
Have failure within your tolerance so that you can stand up again and get even stronger.
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Thanks for this excellent article Ken. The internet is an endless source of information, which can become overwhelming at times. Knowing what information to save and how to implement it can only be learned from experience, and by listening to our peers.
“Information overload is good”, is this reverse psychology your trying on now? Or is it just linkbait? Information overload is not good, it is the biggest distraction for millions of online wanabe entrepreneurs.
As long as you’re organized and you concentrate on what’s working for you and don’t get distracted, then you have a chance. Your Hard Drive is overflowing with info because of information overload in the first place. I have one main folder that i use day in day out to run my network. Keep it straight keep it simple.
I think your advice to just take action is right on! Stop downloading free ebooks. Pick one from your supply that has the most useful information for you and begin to follow the advice. I get tons and tons of “free offers” for new videos, etc and unless it has something that is needed for me to progress right then, I just delete.
For example, there’s a new launch for a PPC product going on right now. The affiliates have been offering all kinds of bonuses, free videos, free ebooks, etc. Very attractive to get sidetracked on new info BUT I’m not ready to learn about PPC right now so I just ignore it. It will turn up again when I need it. In the meantime, focus, focus, focus on the steps that need to be accomplished right now.
Yes its like when you decide to try and quit smoking and someone is always there with a cigarette asking if you want one.
In other words, every time you decide to focus on one thing, something will always come along to get you off course.
Christians call it the devil. he he
Thanks Ken,
Really that’s the major problem so many internet newbies face, and when it comes to a state where they keep gathering information without taking any actions on implementing it and that point whats coming next is Frustration and many just give up really.
I Hope this will help many.
Thanks Always.
This is the best advice I have seen to date about how to deal with information overload. Yes, all us newbies go through the phase of downloading every free eBook available but eventually you get to a point where you realise that the only way to get where you want to be, i.e. your own internet business, is to take action. Just do something. It may not be successful but no matter, it was a learning experience.
You’re right Kenneth. Getting started, taking action and getting wet is a process everyone has to go through in our IM journey. I’ve travelled the hard way. Eventhough I’m wounded, I’ll licked my wounds and come back stronger and wiser. It’ll remain to be one of the most memorable journey undertaken by me. Everyday is a learning process. The more mistakes you made the smarter you’ll be.
Hi Ken,
I still believe Learning by doing can make you success even in internet marketing business.
– widi
This article really helps new-comer affiliates.
Information overload is a big issue for many newbie.. taking ‘action’ and ‘mind your own business’ this two points really useful at this situation.
Thanks for your useful info, It ‘s an important knowledge for new comer online business.
Thanks for your useful info. This is the best advice I have seen to date about how to deal with information overload. It ‘s very useful for newbie like me.
Information overload is useful for any Internet marketing newbies but only information is not enough if you need to succeed “Learning by Doing” is the key to success.
Thanks for your useful info. This is the best advice I have seen to date about how to deal with information overload. It ’s very useful for newbie like me.It may not be successful but no matter, it was a learning experience.
This is good stuff, Ken. Thank you for it. There is a definite “CauseEffect” relationship between information and performance.
One of the obstacles is the fear of failure. It originates, I think, in a greater fear: the fear to try.
This finds it’s home in a much greater, much more nefarious fear, however: The Fear Of Success. As you work it through, it makes perfect sense. It’s where we will find 96% of those currently failing in their internet business.
“If you have everything to gain, and nothing to lose, by all means try!” ~Clem Stone
He was my boss, and my mentor. Failure is not a destination, it is part of the progress of success. When we visualize our own success, is failure in it?
It should be…all over it, in fact.
Great work, and a great conversation. Thanks again for it.
I think you’re right: information is all around us, and we easily feel overwhelmed and with no real direction to go. To me the best thing to do is to set one easily reachable goal and stick to it. Then move on to the next goal. The best knowledge is personal experience and to learn from our own mistakes!
Have a great day!
You have to compartmentalize the different facits to manage each piece of the process.
Pick a starting point and gradually learn each one. If you jump around going from topic to topic, that can cause confusion.
I have read your post and got some idea to manage information overload. Since you have explained it point by point, the concept is very clear to me. Thank you for providing this information. Expecting more useful blogs like this.
This is really great advice about “managing information overload”!
Many people are afraid to “get started” (getting their feet wet). They think that they might do something wrong, or something wrong will happen to them. They want to get clear about everything right from the start. But I remember Mike Litman’s quote in this regard: “You don’t have to get it right, you just have to get it going”.
Imperfection can be FIXED DOWN THE ROAD. As you get started, you will start to get more knowledge and ideas, which are coming from your own hands-on experience (which is a very crucial thing to keep in mind). In other words, getting started helps you INTERNALIZE the information. And, as you have said, during this time, one might make some mistakes or lose some money, but these are all part of the process of getting your feet wet.
Getting started is the key. Start with a small easily reachable goal. Then move up from there.
In the online business world, “learn and quickly apply it” has always worked, and will continue to work.
A quick 4 step formula regarding this (according to Mike Litman):-
– start immediately
– improve it until it is good
– get feedback
– polish it until it is very good
Very good thoughts you shared here in this post and I agree that information overload is a good thing. You must take action with the information you acquire so you’ll know if it will work for you. Knowledge is power and READERS are leaders.
Terri Pattio
Twitter Strategist