Idea Overload Disorder, or “I, OD” as it is known.
I honestly think I have come up with my very own disorder. Now I just need a good pitch for the pharmaceutical companies. I know, I will use my real life story as the basis for my marketing pitch. Here it goes..
“Do you ever find yourself spaced out? trying to do five things at once? forgetting to spell check your Twitter messages? Well you may suffer from what is known as I, OD. That’s right you are not alone. Thousands of tech savvy people just like you also suffer from Idea Overload Disorder.”
Well what do you think? It could sell right? I mean after all Acid Reflux Disease and Restless Leg Syndrome didn’t even exist in the 90′s.
Actually, this isn’t far for the truth. Over the last 6 years the speed of the innovation on the Internet is not something that anyone could have kept up with or can keep up with now. One of the most difficult things that I have found to do is to focus in one direction when building new projects or improving old ones. Why? No, it isn’t because I drink to much coffee or can’t finish things I start, it is because there are some many solutions available for every question. I mean think about how many ways there are to change the color of your font in a blog post.
I am constantly looking for ways to stay focused on the project at hand. I start with To Do Lists (I love lists), then there is the Thunderbird Calendar, then there is the break down of what can I get done first, second, third, before next Winter. Needless to say it still gets chaotic.
So my post tonight really isn’t very deep, it is more a cry for comments. What tricks do you use to help combat being pulled away to every tinyurl that comes up on Twitter, Facebook, Email, Phone, Feed……? or Maybe I just suffer from I, OD.






December 5th, 2008 at 9:46 am
Jake, I fully understand and sympathize. I suffer from the same disorder. If you remember back to when you, me and Jason all worked together, we had to institute “No New Idea Tuesdays” just so we had 1 day a week where we would actually focus on projects we already had on the go.
For me, I started solving these issues with my iphone. I put in all of my upcoming appointments in the calendar (this was a biggie as I was constantly double booking myself) and then I started using a To Do list program to track everything that needed to get done. Having the list on paper or on your computer is one thing, but having it in your pocket with you at all times is the way to go!
Oh Jake, did you see this video? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_moia-oVI
December 5th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
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