There are few bloggers who I consistently read. One of them is David Cain of Raptitude. He doesn’t post on a particular schedule that I’ve noticed but all of his posts are impactful if don’t rush through them. His writing will often sit in my inbox unopened for several days, weeks even. I’ve learned if I read one of his posts before I’m ready it won’t stick. But if I wait until I’m ready I always come away with something to think about.
We have an information overload problem. Any issue you have you can type into Google and get pages and pages of people telling you how to fix it.
I envy the people of the past who were handcuffed by whatever books they owned or could borrow. Maybe you had one or two recipe books. You used those books to bake hundreds of recipes. There wasn’t the anxiety of wondering if this is the best brisket bourguignon recipe or if you should search through a few more digital pages just to make sure.
We also have a skimming problem. Because there is so much information out there it’s hard to sit down and really listen to someone from start to finish.
Maybe we have to skim, at first, to narrow down who to listen to. Once you’ve found a voice worthy of your attention slow down and let them speak.
If I’m in a hurry I don’t open a David Cain article. They aren’t long, but they deserve to be read with full attention. One thing I like about his articles is he always leaves readers with something to think about. One thing always sticks.
Be critical of who or what you let influence you. Once they’ve made it into your inner circle take the time to really listen to what they have to say.
There is no award for reading the most articles or watching the most How-to Youtube videos. All that matters is what information sticks with you a week, a month, or a year later.
Consume less, absorb more
Let’s say you want to learn the guitar. Rather than bouncing around between dozens of online guitar teachers, pick one and really absorb the knowledge they’re giving out.
Try to learn one thing per virtual lesson that really strikes you and changes the way you play.
The tendency is to suck up as much information as possible. If you want to learn something it’s natural to skim through fifteen videos on the subject rather than watch one video fifteen times.
If I have an hour to play guitar it’s tempting to bounce around practicing several random things. A better use of my time would be to practice the same song, or scale, over and over again until I fully know it.
We hate feeling like we’re wasting our time by repeating information, but it’s really hard to get the lessons of fifteen videos to take hold. If you try to learn ten new songs at once you’ll end up not fully knowing any of them.
If you want to grow, slow down. Watch the same video of the guy going over the pentatonic scales over and over until you really understand it and it becomes part of you. Play the same song over and over until you can play it in your sleep. Make one thing stick.
As always, I’m speaking to myself more than any audience. I need a constant reminder to go deep not wide. I think you’d be happier and better off if you did the same.
Also, if you haven't checked out David Cain's work then you should give it a look. Maybe he won't connect with you but maybe he'll become your semi-weekly life guru. His work has made such an impact on my life that I would be remiss if I didn't make you aware of it.
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