Information Overload(ed)

I am sure we all suffer from it. I don’t mean that you can’t mentally handle all the information and go into drooling stupor at some point. I mean that there is too much information to process, robbing us of time we need to get real work done. Teh Internets provide such aimless joy as Lolcats et cetera that can sometimes leak into the real world. I, too, am a sufferer. Between working 30 hours a week, hitting the gym (rarely as I do) and spending time with the wife, I do have a graduate thesis due in the next few months. Damn, I better get on that.

So, yes, I has a pifanee and decided to get organized. Some may recall that I am a GTD convert (I covered GTD nearly 2 years ago on CA) but sometimes your system needs a tightening up. Over the past couple of weeks I have been re-evaluating my system and finding holes. My first step was to implement the Kinkless desktop and simplify my collection and filing systems for incoming information. The next step was to reduce that incoming information by cutting down on my RSS feeds. I am an RSS hound, but I have always tried to keep my feeds to a minimum. I have just 106 that cover Politics Blogs, News, Design, GTD and the latest in Apple stuff. But every day it took me about an hour to process these in the morning. They do all offer great information, but with the Thesis of Doom™ looming I needs to cut down to only the essentials. With motivation from zenhabits I have cut down to just 36 feeds which takes only 20 minutes to check in the morning. I have also adopted the habit of only checking my RSS once in the morning and once at night, something I should think about doing with my email as well. If you have any other time-saving, information pruning tips, give em up in the comments.