Signal Versus Noise

Signal is information that is true and reliable and alerts you to the opportunities, possibilities, and resources...” - Sean Acher, Before Happiness

Science has spoken and it simply has affirmed what most of us already know – we are immersed and bombarded twenty four seven by distractions. Media reports flood in at a level never seen before. We can't possibly keep up with them all. Ads come at us from all sides trying to lure us to buy. Social media algorithms are designed specifically to keep us from turning off the net. Restaurants blare music so loud we can hardly hear our server.

The question has been raised as to how we can possibility adapt to this new reality effectively. Our mind does it's best to filter out what is important for us, but we cannot help but realize we are most likely missing important parts of the larger picture. It's inescapable. So how can we improve our odds, to find a way to decide which siren calls are the ones worth answering. I found the idea of signal versus noise to be an intriguing way to look at it.

Let's start with the negative side – noise. Noise can come from many sources such as email, conversation, and media reports. It's presence will end up distracting you from applying yourself to reaching your goals, or it might offer misinformation that distorts your viewpoint. Next think of all the bits of information you receive during a day that are irrelevant. They are simply more fodder to fill up your mind. Ever minute you spend buried in a pool of irrelevant ideas is a minute that is holding you back from creating meaningful work.

Another facet of noise is hypothetical information. I welcome new ideas. I love learning. However, in the last few years there has been an explosion of misinformation. If I cannot find support for the idea, I set it aside for a future time when more information is available. Noise can also be a problem when you turn your focus to something at the wrong time. If you haven't written a book yet, it is probably not the right time to spend your days deciding on the perfect agent or publishing direction.

I resonated with Shawn Achor's take on what a signal is – true, reliable and alerts you. When faced with new information ask yourself questions. Is it true, verifiably true? Is the source reliable and trustworthy? Does this information move me forward by showing me possibilities or does it distract and hold me back? Is the timing right for me to spend resources on it, or should this be put off for a future time when it's more relevant?

These questions are powerful for me for a few reasons. I was never brought up to question authority. I was expected to follow blindly. It has taken me years to finally begin to see what is going on behind the scenes in the media and ask the right questions. I still have a long way to go. I have also never had a lot of confidence, so often spent my time dreaming of the future and what I wanted it to look like, I was immersed in noise instead of looking for the signals that would have helped me move that direction. There is no getting around the fact that if you don't start you will never get there.

One other aspect to all this is simply the mistake so many of us make of being overwhelmed by thoughts of what could go wrong. Often our worries are way out of line with the chances of the worst case scenario ever happening. There is no point ruining your serenity by holding onto dark thoughts of failure before you even begin. This is the ultimate noise, sucking away our joy and keeping us from seeing the wonderful possibilities all around us.

It's time to let go of the noise trying to get our attention and chose instead to look at what the world is offering that will uplift us and guide us to a future of our choosing. That might mean having to unlearn many lessons we were taught growing up. We need a new lens to look through that will allow us to see the possibilities others miss. We need to turn left when everyone is turning right.

The best way to start is to step back for awhile and look at your life without judgement. It's time to purposely identify where noise is affecting us and either excise it from our lives, or put it away for the right moment in the future. Follow this by taking time to look the positive signals waiting in the wings to attract your attention. Embrace these signals with curiosity, celebrate them with abandon and enjoy the ride.