Discussion often focuses on big overwhelming changes. However, small changes to the tools we use can cause challenges too. When they are unexpected, they can make it difficult to complete an otherwise easy task. Even one can cause an avalanche that results in longer-term issues.
How we deal with the small change depends on many different factors. However, first we need to know about it!
Read to keep up with changes
It sounds simple, however, it’s nearly impossible today to keep up to date with everything!
I try to keep current on general changes; when I need to answer a specific question then I will go into deep research mode to discover details.
Information comes to me in many different formats — by subscribing to newsletters, following social media accounts (mostly Twitter), and RSS feeds. Not everything receives a close read; there wouldn’t be time to do anything else!
Tips for managing email newsletters
- Create filters. They bypass my inbox and go directly to a specific folder.
- Sort by need. Sometimes I want to know what has happened in the past few days, for that I sort by date. At other times I need to catch up on all the changes to a specific thing. In this case, I most often sort by sender.
- Search. If I’m looking for something specific, then I’ll search and see what
This helps to prevent both information overload and paralysis yet allows me to remain aware of updates and key changes.
Yes, I’m biased to text, there are many reasons why I find it easiest to skim and summarize.
If you like to watch videos or listen to audio/podcasts, those are also often great sources of information.
Note: This is a 2021 update of a post initially published in 2011