Overcoming Information Overload
Ever felt overwhelmed by a barrage of info? You’re not alone.
Tech conferences are a lavish display of innovation, interesting people, and unique experiences — which can be a lot to process in a short period of time. So much, it can impact our ability to think clearly.
As Wikipedia puts it…
Information Overload is the difficulty understanding an issue and effectively making decisions when one has too much information.
Information Overload is a real thing and thanks to the rise in popularity of the internet, it is more common than ever. Research shows we are bombarded with 350% more information than 30 years ago.¹
Whether it be the dates of an event, bars/restaurants we get recommended, or historic places to see, there is a rising problem with the amount of information we are expected to remember/process every single day.
That is precisely what happened to Parker Klein ✌️ and me at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference this past week in San Francisco.
Since it was my first time in the Bay area, weeks before our trip, people were already sharing their suggestions…
SF Recommendations
- Kokkari. Greek food. (Recommended by Hdawg)
- Bob’s Donuts. (Willy)
- Bourbon and branch. Speakeasy. (Hdawg)
- Alcatraz if you have time. It’s worth it. (Dillon)#BPTWTD ✌️
But it was more than just recommendations. Often, it was the little things we were being told it would be important to remember/act upon…
Sep 18, 2023
- Dillon and Samyr will be in San Francisco the same week we are
- Free coffee in the lobby from 7–10#BPTWTD ✌️
And this is not only happening at tech conferences. These types of things pop up in our lives 24/7. If you’ve ever gone for a walk and thought of a brilliant business idea or something you need from the store, you can probably relate.
More things popping up means more things to remember. More things to remember means more things forgotten. And more things forgotten means more missed opportunities and feelings of frustration.
Like the time I forgot about my girlfriend’s sister’s wedding, extended a work trip, and failed to show up. Which wasn’t a problem for long because after that I didn’t have a girlfriend.
Research shows people forget 50% of new information they learn every 20 minutes, 70% within 24 hours, and 90% by the end of the week.²
What this means is forgetting things is a real problem and requires tools to help us organize and remember our lives.
For me, that tool is Twos ✌
Now, before you roll your eyes and say “Dang, here comes the part of the blog this Twos Guy wants to sell me something,” let me reassure you…
Twos is free to use and has no hidden fees or subscriptions.
If you’re open to learning about a valuable tool you might benefit from, I invite you to keep reading about my experience with Twos…
So…what is Twos?
Twos is a simple, all-in-one system that helps you write *things* down you want to remember.
You can write any*thing* in Twos. Goals, meeting notes, ideas, to-dos, reminders, events, dreams, etc. Twos uses proprietary technology actually referred to as “writing *things* down” which allows for every*thing* to co-exist and be managed from one place.
In order to convey why I find Twos so valuable, here are three of my favorite ways I use Twos…
- To quickly capture jokes/ideas/moments I want to remember
Sep 26, 2023
- Mustered up the confidence to talk to a pretty girl at a coffee shop. She has a boyfriend but WE TRIED AND IT FELT GOOD.#BPTWTD ✌️
- For remembering events that don’t make sense on my calendar and random to-dos
Oct 10, 2023
- President Wil gets back to TAMPA (Reminder set for Oct 10, 2023)
☐ Invite Wil over for dinner#BPTWTD ✌️
- For organizing lists of information I want to share with my friends or act upon at a later date.
Bucket List
☐ See the northern lights
☐ Run the St. Petersburg Pier
☑ Ride a bike through the city of San Francisco#BPTWTD ✌️
There are many more use cases that make Twos my favorite tool. But its speed, ease, and accessibility on all devices are my main selling points.
For me, there is nothing more valuable than Twos to capture, remember, and share my life.
But ultimately it’s not the tool that matters — it’s the method of overcoming information overload, simply writing *things* down.
What’s your favorite tool for managing/organizing information? Leave a comment so we can discuss and learn from one another. Bonus: Tell us the funniest or most frustrating time you ‘forgot’ something important (like the combination to your safety deposit box).
Lastly: if you enjoyed this blog please consider sharing it with someone you think could benefit from writing *things* down. Aka everyone. Send this to everyone 😉.
Interested in trying out Twos? Use my referral code for a free in-app upgrade: https://www.TwosApp.com?code=joe
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1: https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/viewFile/1566/743
2: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0120644#sec012
