Today we want to tell you about a new problem sweeping the nation, it's not the swine flu and it's not an addiction to Twilight books but something far more dangerous; IOS.

What is this?

Information Overload Syndrome is a condition affecting business people everywhere. It is, apprently, the result of trying to manage 281 Exabytes (that's eighteen zeros) of non-stop information that comes in form of emails, attachments, text messages, thought-starters and FYIs. As a result, sufferers of IOS will find accomplishing the simplest of everyday tasks nearly impossible.

The problem we are facing is that the human brain can only hold so much information in a logical order at any given time, leaving many important things, like your credit card's due date, to slip into the ether.

Avoiding Information Overload Syndrome won't be easy but the folks at Xerox want to give one WalletPop reader a chance to kick start their fight against IOS with a $400 Spafinder gift certificate. How do you get this? You watch the video below and leave a comment to be entered for the sweepstakes. We'll take entries from July 1 until July 27. See below for rules.




It's entirely likely that you haven't lapsed as far as the folks in this video yet, but in what way is IOS making you nuts? That's what we want to hear from you. Chime in below.

WalletPop's own Andrea Chalupa has a mindful proposal for you to consider in your combat against IOS; 24 hours of complete solitude. Andrea interviewed Dr. Leo Chalupa (her dad, by coincidence, or happenstance) for WalletPop's BlogTalkRadio show find out how the human brain can benefit from long bouts of uninterrupted time. To learn more about this dangerous idea and how it could help you bring more balance to your life be sure to listen to the podcast.

So what does this all have to do with your finances? According to the Xerox study, 42% of people use the wrong information at least once a week. That means almost half of you reading this post have used the wrong information this past week. It could be anything paying a bill two days late to forgetting how much money you have in your checking account -- either way it's going to cost you.

On top of the pertinent personal information you need to track, there are thousands of new personal finance tips written about every week. And on top of the latte factor and the debt snowball, now you have to remember the snowflake and debt tsunami methods of debt reduction. It's easy to get caught up in all of this information and not actually take any action on your personal finances.

Don't take this as a sign to give up, just take time to step away from the personal finance advice and spend some time, a few hours, maybe even a whole day, examining your financial goals and dreams. It's incredibly hard to take a big picture view of your financial needs when you are taking in so much information on the macro level. Is it really important to know the exact amount of every Starbucks visit you made this last week, or would it be more beneficial to avoid checking every day and look at the information once a week?

Additionally, Xerox has done their part by creating this site to raise awareness. There, you'll find an informative video, IOS statistics, and an IOS news story that you can customize and send to a colleague, friend or family member.

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Official Rules:
-To enter, leave a confirmed comment below about the IOS video.
-The comment must be left before 5pm ET on Monday, July 27 , 2009.
-You may enter only once a day
-One winner will be selected in a random drawing to win the $400 Spafinder gift certificate
-Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C. who are 18 and older
-Click here for complete Official Rules. Winners will be notified by email.