Information is an ocean—and most of us are drowning.
Those who get ahead, are the ones who learn to swim.
They take the ocean seriously and never mindlessly wander into its depths.
They learn how to float; how to tread; how to stroke; how to dive; how to navigate.
Similarly, proficient swimmers in today’s information-based world learn how to:
- Focus. So they don’t recklessly flap, twist, turn, and click with every distraction (i.e. Turning on an ad-blocker or putting notifications on silent).
- Refine. So that each stroke/ click gets them better at future swimming (clicking)—not worse (i.e. Utilizing the Unfollow/ Mute/ Block buttons and more mindfully choosing who to follow and where to click).
- Reflect. Because sometimes the ocean gets the best of even great swimmers. And maybe they take in a bunch of salt water through the nose or get caught under a big crashing wave (sucked into a YouTube rabbit hole). It’s in those moments that you have to figure out how you might handle the same situation from repeating in the future. Those who don’t reflect—don’t improve.
Being in an ocean when you don’t know how to swim is terrifying because the water is in control (and can lead to drowning).
Being in an ocean when you do know how to swim is incredibly refreshing and rewarding—because you are in control (and you get to swim in the ocean).
…And what a beautiful opportunity it truly is to swim confidently in the ocean.
P.s. Here’s an article I wrote on better managing your information diet: How to Upgrade the Quality of Your Life in 1 Hour.