This is where technology comes in – you knew it had to actually help in controlling the mess it creates.

The first area where technology can help tame the beast it has unleashed is the Internet. Figure out what search engines will give you the information you need — there are plenty of specialty search engines out there (for example, SearchEngineWatch offers a few and SearchEngineGuide has dozens). So, when you need to do some research, you’re able to hone in on the information that is most relevant to you. Use Favorites/Bookmarks to go back to useful sites. But, don’t just add a site to your Favorites list and forget it. Organize them. Create folders and subfolders so you have some hope of finding the site again. There are lots of search tools available that go beyond the standard search engines. Some are software solutions, some are vortals (industry-specific portals with links to lots of sites of interest to that industry), some are sites that will help you search, and more.

The Internet lets me have that just-in-time information. I don’t need to keep nearly as many reference files as I once did. Years ago, I had the wonderful experience of throwing away about 10 feet of magazines. It was such a great feeling. I realized I had access to all that material on the Internet.

The second area where technology can help is the use of email filters and rules. Most of us get at least dozens (some get hundreds) of email messages a day. You can use filters and rules to manage these messages before you even see them. You can have junk mail deleted automatically, messages redirected to specified folders, and messages color-coded based on the sender or subject. You can also filter, redirect, or color-code based on the recipient. So, you can use different email addresses for different purposes. For example, if you want to get newsletters but want to read them when it’s convenient to you, not necessarily when they come in, just use an address for them and have Outlook redirect them to a reading folder.

A third area is through the elimination of paper. Although I still get paper magazines, when I find a story I want to keep, I go the magazine’s website and save the article on my computer (making sure I copy the web address as well for reference). This lets me eliminate the paper, search for articles with specific keywords, and cut and paste quotes without retyping. One of my projects is to scan in some of the paper documents I have so I can gain those benefits with existing paper information.

A fourth area is critical – have all of your contact information in a program that helps you with follow-up (a contact manager like ACT! or Outlook, etc.). These programs let you have all the information in one place, a way to make notes about your dealings with the person, options to write them (paper, fax, or email), create reminders for follow-up, and lots more. If you’re using Outlook, look beyond the first tab on the contact record. You’ll be amazed at how much is there. One of the common casualties of information overload is timely follow-up. These programs help you stay on top of that follow-up.

Finally, I don’t know anyone who manages information overload better than Jeff Davidson. His website, BreathingSpace, has tons of resources (and he really does walk the talk).

What tools and practices do you have to help you with your time management? How can you improve? What are your biggest stumbling blocks?