We are in information overload, all of us.
If you’re reading this there’s a good chance you are living in the modern world and doing things like reading articles on the Internet.
We take in all types of information pretty much all day long: it’s written, or it’s video or it’s just audio. This is a good thing.
In fact, it feels really good when we take in this information. Because it feels like we learn are learning new things.
The problem is that taking in information is not really learning.
Learning requires processing time, and we moderns do not do nearly enough of that. We love to take it in, but we are too busy to make sense of what we have learned.
So, what can we do about it?
We must make time every day to process. Meditation, reading for long periods, focused attention in meaningful places. These are the things that convert the information to something more.
Thought takes effort and time.
I like to to go back and review my notes. Memory experts say that a two-week timeframe works the best, but what matters most is that you do some kind of review.
Of course, you have to actually take notes for this to work. So takes notes on the information that stands out to you or the stuff that makes you curious.
Look back. Reflect. Make some sense of the information.
As moderns, we will forever be bombarded with details. It’s not a bad thing, but to make the most of it, we’ve got to make time to make sense.
