We live in an age where information overload is so EASY. I mean why not see what 5 more people have to say or why not 10. Are you researching tasks you need to do in your business, and you just keep researching, researching, researching, but you are not DOING? Then keep reading. If you are finding your solution then you just go back to what you are doing 🙂 If you are like me and feel like you need to find ALL the answers, then let’s get down to business…
Please note I’m not talking about researching to gain industry knowledge, in-depth learning about a new topic, or just searching for shareable content. I’m talking about when you want to do a task and you don’t know how. This can be topics like how to start using Twitter, figuring out how to embed a sign-in form on your website, finding an accounting program to use or any of the other 500 million (trillion?) questions you are going to face in building your business.
How To Research With Purpose
Open a document of your choice (or a notebook if you must). I recommend going digital for this.
What are you looking to find an answer to? It should be constrained to one task, not a full topic area.
Plug that into google. Click on the first 5 articles. Read those, DO NOT SAVE THEM!!!
Take notes. It’s fine to cut/paste out steps, you want enough information to do the task you have in mind or enough information to make a decision.
Did you find the answer for your question? Do you know what steps you need to take to do your task? Â If YES: Then go do the task, now, not tomorrow.
If NO: Then are you googling the right thing? Do you need to change your search? Try these tips to search more efficiently using Google.
Go back to step 3 and repeat if you are not getting close to your answers. If you think you are close go down the list of current search. Do this until you have found your answer, do not keep looking for a “better” answer. Does the information you have, get your task done or give you enough information to make your decision? If YES, your research is done.
Other Resources Other Than Google
Do you have a favorite resource for your type of question, then go to their site and search for your answer.
Try searching in Pinterest, again do not keep searching after you have found your solution, close it down and get it done! Pinterest is good for information but bad for distraction.
Are you part of a Facebook Group? Ask the group. People love questions. Alternatively you can use the search bar in the group and see if anyone else has already asked that question 🙂
Learning is great, but when you are starting your business it can also be a very effective procrastinating technique. Trust me, this is a technique I like to lean on. Take a lesson from me, and make sure you are researching with a purpose when you go digging through the interwebs. You will be much more efficient in researching if you stick to a topic, and don’t let what ifs, or maybe I might need this one day come into play.
Want more tips on how to be productive in your business? Take the quiz and get customized feedback on how to address your primary productivity struggle.
What are some techniques you use to avoid the black hole of the internet?Â
