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How to Beat Content Gluttony
October 13, 2008 By 10 Comments
Over consumption of content is just as bad as overeating. But instead of health problems, we run into time problems and eventually–life problems. If you spend too much time around purposeless content, your life will begin to reflect those values.
There are three main types of content on the internet: information, entertainment and community (a fourth one — products — exist but we won’t worry about that). They’re all part of any human’s healthy content diet. Some people require more of one thing than others to thrive.
At some point or another we’ve all been guilty of blowing off a whole day at work to read news, catch up on gossip, buy something cool or play a meaningless but highly addictive video game. And maybe we leave our desks feeling unfulfilled and guilty, knowing that we’re one day farther away from realizing our life goals.
My advice: treat yourself as you would treat your readers. Give yourself only the best information that you know you’ll benefit from. Be your own editor and locate, filter and use content that helps steer your cause, whatever that might be. If it’s entertainment — laugh your brains out and then move on. Can’t peel away from Facebook? Then use it build your network and save the banter with your old chums for after hours.
There’s too much out there to know and learn so don’t even try to consume it all. Once you get this under control, you’ll then be gifted with the power to create your own content.
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[...] won’t be easy, due to content gluttony, which is as harmful to your productivity as food gluttony is to your body. I’ve said before [...]
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[...] I’ve since unsubscribed from a lot of that free content not because it sucked, but because it was too much. I learned something–too much free is a problem. [...]
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[...] Read the right stuff. Reading the blogs and books of experts in and out of your field gives relevance and context to your own ideas. It also builds a platform of knowledge from which you can pioneer new ideas. The only word of caution about reading is not to turn it into afull-time indulgence. [...]
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[...] because most content is free and potentially interesting doesn’t mean you need it. Don’t be a content glutton. I’ve noticed that any more than 7-8 subscriptions tend to mute my vision and [...]
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[...] There’s some truth in that. The iPad is brilliantly designed and marketed it for media consumption. In the wrong hands, it does become a smörgåsbord for content gluttons. [...]
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[...] ideas of productivity include themes like low information diets, why you should get a real office instead of working from home and the importance of writing [...]
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[...] I must ask: How much time are you spending feasting on other people's content versus creating your [...]
Greetings. I really enjoyed reading this post…it’s so true. Most times I will find myself on facebook for over an hour, just looking at pictures and wasting my time. I like your constructive criticism.
I found a post on gluttony that I think you’d enjoy. Mostly concerns food gluttony, but it’s a good read non-the-less. Cheers.
http://www.petermanseye.com/anthologies/what-was-learned/280-the-girth-of-a-nation
Thanks, Tina. You’re my first comment ever. This is a big step for Wordful!
Good food for thought. Stimulating. Not sure how I feel yet. I need to chew it.
But Thanks Charles, another good post.
-Nate