Element Fusion

If you read a lot of blogs like I do, you know there are a whole bunch of posts giving advice on how to do something better. This isn't a bad thing, but when you read a lot, it can get overwhelming, to the point that you really don't learn anything because you're just staring at list after list of tips.

So, how do you avoid this "tip" burnout and actually learn and retain something? Here are a few ideas:

1. Be ok with disregarding 95% of everything. The first step is to get comfortable with the fact that you'll be skipping 95% of the content you come across. No one can digest and retain everything. So, realize that what you're really after is picking only the most pertinent things to read.
2. Filter by headlines. Don't even look at the article unless the headline convinces you that it's something beneficial. I keep everything condensed in my RSS reader so that I don't see any content other than the headline unless I click on it.
3. Filter by opening paragraph. If the headline convinces you to read on, take a quick look at the opening paragraph and ask yourself again if it is worth the read. If not, move along.
4. Skip to the points. If you choose to move forward, skip down to the bullet points that most articles utilize. Read over these first, again, asking yourself if this is worth the investment.
5. When you find it, focus in. Don't skim it anymore. Take some time and breathe it in. This is the most critical step because most of the time, I just skim, skim, skim to find the good stuff but don't slow down once I find it. When you find it, take some time and absorb it before moving on.

Of course, these tips should only be applied to blogs other than this one. You'll want to read every word on our blog. That was just a little humor for those of you who are committed enough to read all the way to the end!