The Information Diet

Most information entertains you. The right information transforms you.

We have so much information being thrown at us, yet most of us never stop to ask what information is actually worth consuming. Instead, we default to whatever is fastest, easiest, and most convenient - much like fast food. It isn’t good for you, but it satisfies you with the least effort.

Consuming information is not harmless; whether you realize it or not, it either breaks you down or builds you up.

Those who rise above the masses know this. They deliberately guard what enters their minds because they understand it ultimately shapes who they become.

But only you can decide that for yourself.

You decide who influences your mind; no one else does it for you.

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” ~ Jim Rohn

This quote is not limited to your friends. You are also the average of the videos you watch, the podcasts you listen to, the books you read, and the posts you scroll.

You are the average of the information you consume.

When you filter out the information you consume, you’ll find that your conversations, ideas, and performance significantly improve. The information no longer pulls you away from your life - it adds to it.

Before I watch a movie, read a book, or go on social media, I first ask myself, ‘What value is this bringing to my life?’

If the movie has nothing meaningful to offer, I move on.

If the book stretches the idea too far, I skip to the next chapter.

If I check my social media metrics, I remind myself that the best investors don’t get emotionally attached.

Or as Warren Buffett puts it,

"You don’t want to be a no-emotion person in all of your life, but you definitely want to be a no-emotion person when making an investment or business decision."

It’s easy to think that the villain in your story is your device - you probably see it as something that distracts you and steals from you.

But that’s just not true.

Your device gives you access to more information than any generation in history has ever had.

It’s only you who decides whether it breaks you down or builds you up.