The Internet might be a wonderful thing, but it’s also a productivity killer. Why? U.S. office workers waste about 20 percent of each day, and surfing the Web tops the list of time-wasting activities.
Even valid, work-related Internet usage, such as answering e-mail, reading news, and using productivity tools, can suck up surprisingly large amounts of time. And it’s easy to become addicted to all the nifty recreational options out there, from Twitter to YouTube to your favorite blogs.
If you’d like to cut back on your Internet habit, try Leo Babauta’s six strategies to beat online time-wasters.
- Track time. This can help you see where your problem areas are.
- Block them. Save yourself from surfing by making your favorite sites inaccessible. (Except for this one, of course.)
- Unplug. Disconnect from the Internet when you really need to get work done.
- Take an Internet vacation. If your addiction is really bad, unplug for at least a day — or even a week.
- Just let go. Release the urge to answer all your e-mail today. It’ll be there tomorrow.
- Limit time. Decide how many minutes you’ll spend on Facebook (and stick to it), or check e-mail only twice a day.
Implementing the last tip in conjunction with one of the other five will work best, but if you can accomplish even one you’ll make a dent in your Internet dependency. Now stop reading this blog and start increasing your productivity!
(image by Mr. Ju Ju Bean via Flickr, CC 2.0)
