Overcome Information Overload

Q: How Can We Create Sustainable Learning Behaviours for our Long-Term Careers?

A: Remember, it's a Marathon, NOT a Sprint.

This week I'm expanding on a coaching session I had recently with a relatively new podiatrist to the profession.

He, like many of us, is very passionate about his clinical practice but is running out of steam. Something that isn't great for only being in his second year of practice!

In the digital age we have access to an immense wealth of knowledge, which is a great thing.

However, access to vast amounts of knowledge
can be a double-edged sword.
Consuming too much information at a time
can impede our learning.

If we couple this with the sense of urgency we often feel, when we want to speed up our learning &/or mastery of a skill.
We can just reach a point of overload where we may be consuming all of the content and not learning any of it.

The Problem

What my coaching client was experiencing was information overload, which is very common for newly practicing clinicians (and even more experienced clinicians as well).

We've all been there, once we start practicing (or venture in to a new area of clinical practice) we quickly become aware that there is still SO much more to learn.

The more you know, the more you realise you don't know.

Whilst this awareness is great, it often results in what I refer to as the Dunning Kruger hangover.

When we graduate, finish a weekend course or some other form of intense information consumption, we walk away with this amazing confidence of our knowledge and capabilities.

However, once we get back to the reality of putting this knowledge in to practice, we can quickly become aware of the knowledge gaps that still exist. This can often spur on a period of intense information consumption, because you want to speed up the process of skill mastery.

The Dunning Kruger Hangover

A Solution?

There are a few strategies we can implement to help combat the information overload we're experiencing.

The first, is just reminding ourselves;

Learning & skill mastery is a marathon, not a sprint.

When we are able to take pause and realise we are (hopefully) in this for the long-game, we are able to realise that we don't need to learn everything yesterday.

In order for us to truly consume information, consolidate our learning and develop a degree of mastery in that area, it takes time. If we are able to remove the urgency we are internally creating and give ourselves the time to do this, we will actually do it properly and our long-term knowledge acquisition will be better for it.

Secondly, cut out the noise. That is, stop over-consuming and get clear on your WHAT, WHY, WHEN & HOW.

Consume with Intent

Step 1. Set your learning goals.

What are you wanting to learn? Why are you wanting to learn it? What will the overall outcome be for you once you acquire this knowledge &/or skill?

Step 2. Set aside time to complete these activities.

When will you be undertaking your learning activities?

Will you be doing this weekly, fortnightly, monthly? There's no right or wrong answer. It's about setting a schedule that you will be able to stick to and will give you time to consume, consolidate and apply.

Also consider, how long is your attention span? There's no point setting aside a 3 hour block if your mind begins to wander at the 20 minute mark. We're not cramming for an exam we forgot to study for, we're investing in our long-term learning.

Step 3. Identify your learning mediums.

How/where will you be accessing your information?

Identify the learning sources that give you the highest quality of information consumption that will meet your goals. High quality means it's evidence-based (essential!), you personally engage with it and also enjoy consuming the information.

This doesn't mean it has be to all journal articles. If you have a blog/vlog that you follow, learn from and can consume & retain the information, that's perfect.

I would suggest, at least initially, cutting out the noise and selecting a maximum of 3 (5 at the absolute most) sources to consume and cut out the rest.

This doesn't mean cut out forever, remember this is a strategy to get you back on track and re-orientate yourself to your goals. You may have a rotating roster of 3, changing the sources over time. Again, there is no right or wrong answer here.

Step 4. Stop just consuming, start producing.

If you can't explain it simply,
you don't understand it well enough.

One of the best methods to consolidate your learning is by sharing information with others. By doing this we are engaging different processing elements within our brains, and by engaging various elements is how we process better, process faster and commit knowledge for longer.

If you're studying podiatry &/or have recently graduated, I understand the early stages of your career can be very daunting. At The Progressive Podiatry Project we are dedicated to helping student and new-graduate podiatrists navigate the challenges you often face in the early stages of your careers.

If you would like to join our live QnA for podiatry students & recent graduates head to https://www.progressivepodiatryproject.com/podstudent