I was a slave to the news.

Newspapers stacked on the desk. CNBC playing in the background. A stock market I was just beginning to understand.

That was me, fresh out of college, a slave to the news before I knew there was any other way to invest.

I thought information was my best friend. I'd spend hours scouring newspapers, watching CNBC, and reading analyst ratings and earnings reports. My logic was simple: the more words I crammed into my skull, the more money I would make with my investments.

If only the world worked this way…

Sure, a big part of any investor's market education is learning how to read the financials and digest all the news on stocks and analyst reports floating around out there. But the harsh truth is none of this information will give you an edge in the markets.

Like most young investors, I found this out the hard way.

No matter how much content I consumed, I wasn't able to beat the market. I was going insane.

Then, the Great Financial Crisis wiped away more than a decade of stock market progress. It also offered me my own personal reset.

While the world was turned upside down and wealth was getting obliterated every single month, I chose to find out what makes markets tick.

I was finished chasing breaking news, press releases, and other people's opinions. I dug into the heart of market mechanics — the hidden forces that shape trends and move prices.

Instead of chaining myself to the financial news, I found freedom in the charts. I learned to identify and take advantage of major market trends. And I began to understand the role sentiment plays in the stock market fluctuations that drive so many investors crazy.

You don't have to be a technical analyst or chart hound to make this information work for you.

Your ticket to choosing financial freedom begins with understanding how to better curate the endless streams of information available to you. Not only will your investments perform better, but you'll also have more time for the things in your life that really matter.

Here's how to get started…

Lose the News

TV news is designed to scare you so they can sell advertisements. Financial news is no different.

When the stock market is in freefall, CNBC likes to take advantage of the fear by airing its infamous "Markets in Turmoil" special reports, no doubt attracting a huge audience of scared investors.

Market strategist Charlie Bilello documented every "Markets in Turmoil" report air date going back to 2010. He found the S&P 500 posted a one-year forward return averaging 40% following each special, calling it "the only indicator with a perfect track record."

You're never going to gain any insight from watching financial news that will give you any edge in the markets whatsoever. After all, everyone else is watching the exact same programming as you. Mindlessly consuming media is not research. You're simply gathering information.

If you're worried about missing something important, just keep the TV on mute in the background. It's much more peaceful with the sound off.

Focus on Price

You won't see much chatter about stocks that are going nowhere on the news.

That's because the news is about what's already happened. You'll hear plenty about stocks that have already made big moves and attracted all the attention. But they'll never tell you what's about to happen next…

For this kind of insight, you have to focus on price.

Once a week, you should run three separate scans: One for stocks making new all-time highs, one for 52-week highs, and one for 50-day highs.

The first two will help you find stocks in long-term uptrends. These are your market leaders. When you scan for 50-day highs, you have the potential to find fresh names that are beginning to outperform.

Buying stocks that are going up may sound obvious. Yet many investors are dead set on catching falling knives and guessing at dramatic turnarounds that never materialize.

Don't fall for this trap. Narrow your research to stocks locked in uptrends and those that are beginning to catch positive momentum. In 18 months, they'll be the names the talking heads will be gushing about on TV.

Here's another fun tip: Stocks that double in price over the past 12 months are statistically likely to double again over the next year. Locate these "doublers" to find your next triple-digit winner.

Restrict Your Intake

The world is a noisy place. Social media has made it much noisier.

The crushing weight of social apps makes people feel like they need to have an opinion about every big (or little) event happening in the world.

But opinions are useless. In fact, they're more likely to hinder your investment process than help shape a constructive thesis.

There are thousands of stocks listed on U.S. exchanges. Most are junk. The average ones are, well… average. I only have strong views on a handful of names.

You don't need to drink from the firehose. Focus on the outperformers — the trends and investment themes that have the potential to make your year.

Ignore the rest.