Plow Through Your Reading List

Have you ever been the kind of reader who just can't let go of any information s/he comes across? You know, the type who would skim magazines and cut out the articles they'd like to save for later? Cutting the best parts out of a magazine may be a decluttering tip, but if you don't read as fast as you save, you'll end up hoarding more than you could possibly ever read, even if you had all the time in the world.

In this day and age of the internet, it's becoming even easier to access information. You don't even have to bring out the scissors, because all you have to do to save an article is click a button. You can end up going through site after site, attracted by the title of an article that piques your interest, pressing "Read Later" again and again... Before you know it, your application of choice will be bursting with more text than you know what to do with!

I admit that I am a recovering information hoarder. I have been through the "cut ALL the magazines!" phase, as well as the "buy ALL the books" one. I used to have a thousand bookmarks in my browser of super important information and reference, yet I never actually looked at most of them even once. Part of it is that accumulating information (or 'things') related to something you want to be becomes a way to pretend that you are becoming that person, or at least 'doing something about it.'

Really, you're not. Collecting does not make an artist, a writer, an athlete, or whatever you have in mind. Collecting and using them, then knowing when to let go of them, and actually acting on your goal, is what will turn you into the person you want to be.

Yet making a Read Later list is also a productivity tip so that you can focus on the task at hand and leave those interesting morsels of information for later. So how do you effectively manage your ever growing virtual list of Things to Read?

I came across The Impending Doom Machine concept earlier this week, as applied to reading lists. The basic idea is that you don't read any of the articles on Weekdays and instead save them for reading on the Weekend. Then, from Friday to Sunday, you can peruse your collection of articles for the week all you want. You can do it in one go or during breaks. The important thing is that by Monday, you have to clear your slate. That's right. You'll be forced to pick out the important articles, or the ones that you really wanna read. When you're done, you delete everything in your reading list by your deadline and start afresh.

"But... but... all that information!" you might be thinking. "What if I miss something important?!"

Don't worry about it. With how much new information is being created, processed, and shared every day from every single stream you could think of (Facebook, Twitter, art sites, special interest sites, etc.), if you tried to read every single thing, you'll only end up frustrated. It's a losing battle. Instead, think of the internet like a stream that you can dip your toe in once in a while. You don't want to stay there forever, though, do you? (No, really. You don't wanna become a prune, do you?)

I set this Machine in action today to cull my own reading list, thinking it wouldn't take me very long. Five hours later, I had finally conquered over a hundred articles I had kept hidden in my browser's Read Later tab for so long! That definitely forced me to skip some bookmarks, and to refrain from saving too many articles in the future. Now, I can't say for sure that this is totally effective, as this is only the first week I have implemented it, but I'll continue using it to help me re-evaluate how I spend my time.

Will you use up all your time to read every little bit of information that swims your way, or will you spend your time wisely to pick out only the juicy ones that actually will help you in your personal goals? Good luck and make wise choices on your continuous quest for knowledge! :)

- Mel