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Leadership and cost of inaction

Are you a Super Information Consumer ?

There is no denying that today, we have greater access to information than ever before
Everything is available to you on your fingertips, at the click of a button or a tap on your phone screen
And there is also no denying that this has created what is usually referred to as “information overload”
But let me ask you this :
While it is easy to say that we are bombarded with information all around, we always have a choice, right ?
How much information to consume ?
When and from where ?
How to use it ?
Despite having that freedom and choice, I have seen that most of us fall into what I call the “Super Information Consumer” trap
This is a term I had coined last year
A Super Information Consumer is a person who constantly consumes information all the time, from all possible sources
..You watch a lot of motivational videos
..You read a lot of books
..You attend every possible webinar
..You undergo multiple online trainings
..You listen to a lot of podcasts
Obviously, nothing wrong with it, except the fact that…
While you are consuming all that information, nothing is really changing for you on the ground
Let us say you read a book or watch a motivational video
You get a temporary high, a temporary sense of motivation
But within no time, you get back to your life and life gets back to normal
You are right back to where you started
And then you read another book, watch another video, attend another training…..
Now do not get me wrong
I am not saying that you should not read books or watch videos or attend webinars
So what is the missing link ?
When you consume information, in most cases, you are not able to convert that information into a meaningful INSIGHT
And most importantly…
Even if you do gain an insight, you do not take any action
The result…
NOTHING REALLY CHANGES FOR YOU
Your life remains the same
Same challenges, same struggles
Information >> Insight >> Action >> Results
That is the journey to achieve breakthrough results in life
Insight simply means a fresh or new perspective
Action means converting that perspective into a specific action for yourself
And when you take different action consistently, you will eventually get different results
But as a Super Information Consumer, you are mostly stuck at phase one of the journey – "Information Consumer"
The next question is....
Why does this really happen ?
Why would you fall into this trap ?
Over the years through my coaching experience, I have realized that this happens due to 3 main reasons :
Shortcuts
You hope that within that load of information, you will get some magic formula, a silver bullet, which will solve all your problems. In a way, you are looking for shortcuts or some ready-made solution to your problems.
You are ok to live with the pain, but do not want to make any effort to change, hence looking for an easier way out. The path of least resistance. You avoid discomfort at any cost.
Social pressure
Because everybody around you seems to be reading books and doing online courses, you also end up being part of the race.
You proudly showcase your certificates and badges on social media, without even thinking through the relevancy and context. Whether that training program has or will really help you or is it just another addition to your profile ?
False Assumption
You assume that what works for others will also work for you.
Say, you read a great book about the life is journey of a successful entrepreneur – how he/she overcame struggles and challenges to build a business
You can obviously relate with it, but do not forget that your life and circumstances are unique and different
In fact, you are unique
So what worked for him/her may not necessarily work for you
Or it might still work, but you may not be able to do things exactly the way they did
You cannot simply copy-paste things in life
Bottom line....
Beware of falling into the trap of becoming a Super Information Consumer
And remember
Information >> Insight >> Action >> Results
That is the journey to achieve breakthrough results in life
So next time when you read a book, watch a video or attend a webinar, think :

1) What is the single most important insight I have got ?
2) How can I convert that insight into a specific action for myself ? What is the smallest action I can start taking today ?
3) How will I hold myself accountable to ensure I take action consistently ?
I would be interested to know what came up for you as you read and reflected on this article
Till then
Stay safe and stay healthy
Harsh

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