How to avoid too much information

How many personal calendars, desktop to-do lists, and planners do you have? I’m all for organization, and use many methods of keeping track of important dates and events. But do we really need to know all of this info right now? Tracking too much information can waste our time and reduce our productivity. Consistently getting the right information when you need it-but not before- is a huge time saver and career enhancer. Datamation columnist Mike Elgan says that in the age of information overload, you can send “just-in-time information” to yourself using various methods.

“Send yourself notes about people you’re about to meet just before you meet them. Set up alerts about staff birthdays, personnel events and other random data. Your colleagues will think you’re a caring genius with a photographic memory.”

The article covers several services that can automatically email, SMS or call you at a specific time with a reminder. The useful list of websites includes:

Remember The Milk - Set up very specific reminders to be delivered at the time you specify via e-mail, IM or SMS.

Gubb - Maintain any kind of list, which you can get by e-mail or SMS when you send a message to Gubb — then automate the list.

Traffic.com - Set up alerts to arrive at a specific time each day with traffic information about your specific drive or commute. Send it well enough in advance so you can leave early if you have to.

FutureMe.org - E-mail yourself for delivery on any future date you specify. This is best for long-range information that you don’t need to know for months or years.

HassleMe - Use this easy Web-based service for occasional, non-exact reminders.

FlightStats - Get voice, text or e-mail alerts three hours before your flight, plus another notification for every change of information. Also check your airline’s web page for similar services, which in some cases have more flexibility.