Are You an Information Addict?

To read this entire article by Michael Masterson click here.

If you’re short on time here’s Michaels’s tips…. the difference between an information addict and an information user…

An information junkie is addicted to the process of buying information. Although he may delude himself into thinking otherwise, he has no intention of ever using the information he buys. An information user is very practical about his purchases . He buys information for specific, pragmatic purposes. He uses the information he buys to achieve specific goals - to start or grow a business, to learn a new language, to improve his negotiating skills.
An information junkie is happiest at the moment he is buying the information . His enthusiasm soon wanes, however. Within hours or days of receiving it, the information junkie is on to other things. The new product goes up on the shelf with the old products. He’s excited about the next new one.
An information user makes progress . See him reading a book about nutrition, and there’s a very good chance (if he likes the book) that his eating habits will change in the immediate future. The information junkie, in contrast, may have 26 books about nutrition in his living room. He may have even read them all - while he was lying on the couch eating potato chips.
An information user is someone who consumes information to profit from it . If he invests $100 in learning about some subject, he expects to see a substantial return on that investment - perhaps a thousand dollars’ worth of value, material or spiritual. An information junkie consumes information like drugs or candy bars. It gives him an immediate rush and then nothing afterward. That’s why he needs to buy more.
The information user has long-term expectations when it comes to knowledge . He believes the knowledge he acquires now will compound over time as he learns more and is in a better position to leverage what he has learned for greater benefit. The information junkie is in it for the here-and-now . He doesn’t believe in saving. He’s always on to the next hot thing.
What about you? Are you an information junkie? Take this test and see…
1. In the past year, I’ve purchased more than 12 books that I haven’t read. (If your answer is Yes, give yourself 2 points.)
2. In the past year, I’ve purchased:

• Only information products that I have used. (Yes = 1 point)
• Between 1 and 3 $100 information products that I haven’t used. (Yes = 2 points)
• Between 3 and 5 $100 information products that I haven’t used. (Yes = 3 points)
• More than 5 $100 information products that I haven’t used. (Yes = 5 points)

3. In the past year, I’ve purchased at least one $1,000 information product that I didn’t use. (Yes = 5 points)
4. I am most excited about the information that I buy:

• When I am ordering it. (Yes = 3 points)
• When I receive it. (Yes = 2 points)
• When I begin using it. (Yes = 1 point)

5. When I read a book, I feel compelled to read it from cover to cover. (Yes = 2 points)
6. I generally take notes when I read something. (Yes = 1 point, No = 2 points)
Well… how did you score?
If you scored 8 or above, you are indeed an information junkie. If you are an information junkie, don’t despair. You can convert yourself into an information user simply by following two rules:
1. When you buy an information product, set specific deadlines for reading it and implementing what you learn. For instance, set a goal that you will take one of its recommended actions within 24 hours of receiving the product. Then resolve to take at least one more recommended action each week thereafter.
2. Don’t buy another product until you have made some progress with the one you previously purchased.
That’s all there is to it. Obey these two rules and you’ll not only break your addiction, you will radically improve your life.

So, what are you…..leave a comment

Until next time, J.

"Take control of your destiny or someone else will"