Shut up! When it's time for an information diet

Since January 1 we’ve been devouring all the podcasts, books, courses, and information about how to:

• Be better

• Build a better business

• Do Facebook ads better

• Create more

• Write a book

• Learn a new system

• Finally, get the secret we’ve been missing out on that will solve all our problems

And hey, if you’re feeling burnt out by the noise, I am right there with you. I realize this sounds a little hypocritical of me because here I am over here dishing out all this writing advice.

And shit—this is advice too. You need to know when to filter. And when to turn off the faucet of information.

Information is wonderful, and if we’re not taking the time to implement what we learn and do the work, it’s wasted.

The problem with consuming more than we’re creating is that we’re no longer taking the time to do the work that will create a name for ourselves, share our content with our people, and connecting with people who matter.

A few months ago, I realized as I felt like I was “falling behind” on listening to the podcasts on my playlists. These podcasts were mainly advice-focused on creativity, business, and marketing. And I was listening to so much that it was impossible to implement anything.

That’s when I decided to press pause on podcasts for a while, and put my head down and do the work. I’ve already cut out most blog reading and don’t remember the last time I took an online course.

And the thing about doing the work is that it can feel incredibly boring and tedious—and not at all Instagram-worthy.

This is precisely the work we must do.

We need to go on an information diet so that we can do our work.

What are we looking for with all this information anyway? Sure—information is great—we have access to whatever information we need at the tip of our fingers. But what the hell good is it if we can’t take any action on it or even spend time learning and digesting it to do us or the world around us any good?

Here are some clues that it might be time to turn off the noise:

• You’re in the middle of too many books to count

• You feel behind on your business podcast listening, blog reading, or book reading

• You devour information at 1-2x the regular speed so you can consume more

• You can't remember the last original anything you’ve put out into the world

• You’re scrolling the sales page of yet another online course thinking that this one will have the answer to all the secrets you’ve been missing out on

• You’ve yet to actually finish an online course AND implement what you’ve learned

• You're secretly hoping there's a magical answer somewhere that you haven't discovered  yet that will make it all easier—easier than doing the actual, butt-in-chair work

• You look up from your latest social media scroll, and it’s been an hour—you don’t even remember why you're here

• Flipping through Insta-stories leaves you feeling stressed and spiraling down the comparison trap

• You have a pile of unopened and half-finished courses that totals up to thousands of dollars

• The freebie folder on your Google Drive is bursting at the manilla seams, and there's so much in there that there's a lifetime of stuff to read—so much that you’d need to dedicate the next month to consume it all

My friend Brit told me that when she unplugs from the noise of social media, it makes her a better person for the humans she’s in front of.

And if you can’t be a good human, then what are we here for? Also, if you don’t want to be a good human for the people in your life then maybe it’s time to find some new people.

If you’re ready to take a break from the noise, here are some ideas:

1. Go on a social media diet, even for a day

2. Unfollow, unlike, and unsubscribe from anything that leaves you questioning your life or your work

3. Go on a consumption diet—no newsletters, no more business podcasts, and put the business books aside

4. Create something every day before you consume anything

5. Choose one tiny project, and commit to finishing it—this week

We consume so much advice—how are we supposed even to begin to take action on any of it when we’re busy cramming more down our throats? It’s as if we’re trying to eat a week’s worth of meals in one sitting. Eventually, we’re going to puke all over our shirts.

Tis’ time to turn off the motherloving faucet.

You don’t need another course, another business book, or another podcast.

Heck even if you want to pause and come back to read this when you have the brain space to take action—please do.

We’re consuming at a rate that’s impossible to keep up. Drinking from the firehose and barely able to even test out one simple action to know if anything works.

You already have everything you need.

This is one big fat reason why I started my writing community. These big-brained business owners are buckling in and doing the work. The often unsexy, dull, monotonous, nothing to write home about work. Instead of plopping down their credit cards for yet another course, they sit down to work and write—many of them for 6 hours a week or more and they have the growing body of work (and resulting smiles to show for it).

Just because we have access to millions of books, blogs, podcasts, summits, YouTube videos, and more doesn’t mean you need to try to consume them all.

Consume consciously, friends.

If you’re completely over all the noise and the courses and want to buckle down and do some work, the writing community could be perfect for you.

And if you enjoyed this article on going on an information diet, consider going on a news diet too.