What Are Information Age Ailments? How I Became More Productive
Destructive behaviours boosted by the growth of technology and the abundance of information are on the rise. They’ve been around since the birth of civilisation but have become more pronounced in the information/digital age.
These behaviours/habits can stop you from moving forward, which is essentially the difference between success and failure. They’re detrimental to both health and progress, that’s why I call them Information Age Ailments (IAAs).
The main reason for this list is that my progress was at a standstill. In turn, I started meditating and researching. Some of you might be suffering from IAAs but don’t know it just yet. Awareness and acknowledgement will open your mind and help you defeat them.
Electronic devices can enable these endless cycles of progress-stifling habits. The upside is that the same tech gadgets can also help you escape the deadly clutches of IAAs. Always use technology to your advantage and not to your downfall – make the gadgets and information work for you, not against you.
Below are 6 Information Age Ailments that were slowing my growth, now that I know what they are, I’ve made some progress in combating them.
Information Junkie
Someone who spends a lot of time reading books, watching videos, and listening to podcasts about self-improvement, but they spend very little or no time putting what they learn into practice. Steven Handel
When we start on a quest to learn more, we mean well, but we can get stuck in a mirage of progress. You can get addicted to scoffing down multitudes of information thinking you’re gaining knowledge, but without acting on it, it becomes purposeless. The longer this goes on, the harder it is to stop, like an addiction, you just carry on at your peril.
There are tons and tons of content being churned out in the cyber world each second through every conceivable medium. It’s up to you to know what information is right for you in your personal and professional life, and how you will apply it.
Learners Syndrome
When a person is continuously on a pursuit to learn but never apply the knowledge. Joey Clover
Learner’s syndrome mainly attacks professionals who keep learning new stuff on the job but never really apply the knowledge. Denzel Washington once said, don’t confuse movement with progress. Some people end up with many qualifications they never use in the corporate world.
You can spend time sharpening the skills you already possess instead of attaining extra degrees. The next best thing is to learn something new for the sake of learning and apply it in your daily/work life. When it sticks, that’s significant growth.
Information Overload
Information overload is the difficulty in understanding an issue and effectively making decisions. It usually happens when one has too much information about that issue.
Even though high-quality information is abundant, remember that not everything is useful to you. You must be rigorous in your research because of the various ways we consume information today.
You must break down chunks of information to consume slowly with an outlined purpose and a non-negotiable breakpoint. The setback is that the more information you consume, the time to act on it is lessened. You must become aware of information overload, and if it’s slowing you down, you must take the necessary steps to conquer it and increase your productivity.
Analysis Paralysis
The inability for an individual or group to reach a decision or outcome because of over-analysing or overthinking.
Analysis paralysis pulls you back from making important decisions in your life, leaving you anxious and dissatisfied. You’ll be exhausted all the time and unable to fulfil your goals. The first step to combating analysis paralysis is knowing your life’s most important goals.
Don’t take too much time on decisions that have little effect on your life, which is likely to be most decisions. When interacting with people, you must be fearless and speak up. The next thing is to deal with the consequences as they arise. On the other hand, walking on eggshells might lead to analysis paralysis, so you must be aware.
Credulous Behaviour
When a person is ready and willing to believe whatever they’re told and so easily deceived.
In today’s world of fake news and memes, you must become some news connoisseur. Marketers and charlatans are quick to pounce on and exploit gullible people. Credulous behaviour will leave you financially and emotionally broken.
You must be vigilant when dealing with information providers, marketers and advertisers. Some people have very shiny and convincing websites, but all to lure you into their money-grabbing schemes. At the same time, you don’t want to be too sceptical to miss opportunities, balance and self-awareness are key.
Perfectionist Procrastination
When you try so hard to be perfect, but you end up missing appointments, not meeting deadlines, and generally putting things off.
You must remember that no one is perfect, your imperfections make you who you are, embrace them. It’s alright to make mistakes because that’s how you learn, and admitting you’re wrong liberates you from perfectionism. Accepting your shortcomings is how you progress to the next stage, and it’s also a path that leads to enlightenment.
Don’t waste your time and energy on trivial nonsense. Relax and meditate to reduce the chatter and sharpen your focus. Remember, perfectionist procrastination is a state of mind. So maybe, you need to stop being fearful or taking yourself too seriously.
How I Combated Information Age Ailments
As you’ve gathered, these ailments are a massive detriment to progress, and you must do everything in your power to avoid or conquer them. IAAs can also leave you anxious, overwhelmed, tired and sometimes disorientated. The main issue behind IAAs is how to deal with, and make use of, all the information bombardment.
Acknowledgement and Acceptance
In my quest to become an internet entrepreneur, I found myself stuck in the world of how to make money online. My first mission was drop shipping. I collected all the information I could, but nothing ever really took off. I believed self-help was the next best thing because I was too scared to start anything though I’d accumulated a lot of information.
I went through lots of books, blogs, audiobooks, podcasts and YouTube videos, only to become stagnant. The amount of information I consumed left me confused and not knowing which direction to take. In the process, I’d left the doors open for all IAAs to come pouring in. I accepted what I’d become and needed a way out of the mess.
Awareness
I started practising mindfulness and became aware I was just thinking about making money online and only that. Going over my notes, I realised a recurring theme from those who had accomplished something in their lives. They all talked about the betterment of others and being authentic in everything you do. I took a personal inventory, and that’s when the light bulb lit up in my head. It was the birth of my website, lifelonglearnerlifestyle.com, and I never looked back.
Action
Research is one of my best strengths, and delivering information clearly and concisely is a close second. I’m a multipotentialite with a lot of transferable skills from different industries and universities. Armed with my transferable skills and enthusiasm for creative endeavours, I became a knowledge broker. I began a Lifelong Learner Lifestyle for personal growth reasons, to help others and also to share information. I’m still working on analysis paralysis and perfectionist procrastination because of the fear of putting out incomprehensible content.
Your outside world is a projection of your inner world, so start working on yourself today. Happiness comes from within, not from an electronic device or another person. It would help if you learned to tolerate uncertainty to increase your peace of mind. Lastly, you must get acquainted with information/digital age navigation skills to increase your value.
