Info Overload

Seth Godin, a management guru you’ve probably noticed I enjoy reading, recently spoke about how we’re enduring cognitive overload. Too many choices. I wholeheartedly agree which is why I recently withdrew from three professional organizations.

I also canceled a cruise to the Baltics. What started as the trip of a lifetime turned into chaos. Too many choices. Charters, places to visit in each port, too many ports, meal selections, a long list of chores to take care of before leaving. . . I was exhausted and hadn’t left home. Then when the tour agent threw an unforeseen choice at me, one that would take a few more dollars, I canceled. Surprised her. She found all these choices fun. To me, however, they threw a burden on the whole experience that was meant to epitomize relaxation. Turned into anything but.

Publishing is like that. Marketing is like that. And if you let it, writing can be like that if you cannot decide what project to focus on.

What do you want to do with your writing? Not sure? Talk to writers. Go to a conference. Give yourself a month or two to read everything you can get your hands on. Then shut it off and make your plan. Once you design a path, quit letting more ideas filtrate in that will only make you second guess yourself.

Everyone has a better way. Better ways are endless. The nature of humans is to develop a better or easier way to accomplish something. The cycle never stops. Your job is to choose a path, develop the plan to the best of your ability, and follow it. If you follow every piece of new advice out there, you’ll spin in circles forever.

from https://ift.tt/eA8V8J FundsforWriters http://bit.ly/2LqwtjR