We all know the importance of goal setting. Goals give you a purpose, a direction. They can also give you a filter, a way to say “no” to things that will distract you from achieving those goals.

Objectives are specific, concrete and measurable actions that lead to your goals – these help you identify what information you need. When you have your goals and objectives, you can evaluate information using that criteria. Does it help you accomplish your goal? If not, skip it.

Plan what books and magazines you’ll read, what email newsletters you’ll get, what newsgroups you’ll join. Even with a fast T1, cable or DSL connection, you can waste hours online (it’s probably even easier with a fast connection since you don’t get frustrated waiting for pages to load).

I love having ebooks on my iPhone and iPad. I can do some reading wherever I am when I’m waiting for appointments or other bits of time. But I have to be careful to limit just how many I download. It’s a lot easier to see a paper pile that’s out of control than dozens of electronic books, articles, magazines, and other documents that are waiting to be read.

Have your goals, establish your objectives for achieving them, and get the information you need to do it.

What are your goals? How do you use them to filter the information that comes into your life.