A few weeks ago, my computer began acting sluggishly. At first it just seemed to take longer to load programs than it had before. Then it started taking forever to boot up. And finally it began shutting down programs, usually just when I was in the middle of trying to get some important project finished.

One day, (after my computer had frozen for the third time), I called my local computer repair store in desperation. I was shocked to find out that they wanted to charge me $75 an hour just to run a diagnostic! But on top of that, the guy said they would probably need to keep my computer for a couple of days. And to add insult to injury, then he added that depending on what was wrong, and what my computer needed, the cost for repairing it could go as high as $300, and might take up to an additional week to fix it!

So instead, I turned to the Internet. Within about 10 minutes, I found several articles that told me how to fix my computer myself, based on its symptoms. Thanks to the step-by-step instructions included in one of the articles I read, and some great information it only took me about 30 minutes, didn't cost me a dime, and now it's like I've got a brand new computer!

Now obviously, reading an article won't work for every situation – I mean, just because I've read about brain surgery doesn't mean I'd consider giving it a try. And there are some times when you really do a need an expert to get the job done.

But sometimes, especially if you're at all handy, and can follow the instructions or advice of someone who is an expert in their field, all you really need is to do a little reading!

What about you?

Want to learn how to fix a minor plumbing problem? Find out how to dress for Paris in the spring? Understand RSS feeds and how to use them? What about discovering how to write a business plan? Repair your credit? Sell used items on EBay?

You can learn how to do all of that and more simply by reading articles written by experts in their fields – and most of the time, they're absolutely FREE!

Thanks to the Internet, information is available on almost any subject you can think of, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

To get started, think of a topic that you'd like to learn more about. Let's say you want to learn more about computers. Open your Internet browser (like Google, Yahoo, Big Daddy or MSN) and type the topic into the search bar and click “search.”

Within seconds you'll find hundreds, if not thousands of Websites, filled with articles and information about your chosen topic. In fact, you might just find yourself suffering from TMI – (Too Much Information).

To Avoid Information Overload, do this:

1. Ask yourself what your main goal is – what do you really want to know?

2. Check out credible sites.

3. Skim through the articles – if you find that it gives you information that you need, either bookmark it or write down URL, make a note of the article's the key points, and then move on.

4. Decide when you have “enough” information. (Remember, you're not the Energizer bunny – you don't have to keep going and going and…)

5. Go back and either print out the articles with the most useful information or read them online and make notes.

6. Once you've finished, take action on what you learned.

Remember, the truth is out there. And you can find it, and all the information you need by reading articles.