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How can we reduce the time we spend online?

By karin, on July 1st, 2010

For those of you that visit my blog regularly, you may have noticed that for the very first time since I announced that I would publish two blog posts every week (one on Monday and one on Thursday) I skipped a post. And not because I did not have one.

Actually I had made a video, ironically enough to save time. So far, things went ok. I wrote the intro to the video and started uploading. No matter what I did it never uploaded in its entirety. So, I apologize for not having a post for you on Monday. Today I am back on track.

The post that I had in mind is about saving time online. You see, I am involved in a lot of projects with short term deadlines and not enough time to get them all done. Murphy’s law dictates that that is the time everything goes wrong. Anyway, the time constrained that I felt made me think about all the time I spend online and if all these tasks are getting me closer to my goal.

It probably does not surprise you that my answer to my own question is no, I am not focused enough. I know this normally to be the case right before vacation time, but still. It was bothering me. I thought about it long and hard and here are my decisions:

1. I am cleaning out my email list and unsubscribe from all the people who’s email I don’t usually open anyway.

2. I am now tracking the time I spend on each task. With that knowledge I will be able to develop a much better schedule and achieve more of the tasks that I set out to do each day.

3. I am back to old fashioned pen and paper to make a to do list. I prioritize the list and identify a few tasks that can easily be done when I am getting tiered and not as concentrated as I should be.

How to reduce time online

4. Every task I am inclined to work on has to get a positive answer to the question “does this get me closer to my goal?”

It has surprised me how much more effective I am now that I am doing these things (again). What do you do to get back on schedule? How are you controlling the time you spend on each task. I have shared my action plan. I would love to hear yours.

web 2.0   , ,  
  • Dr. Adam Sheck

    Karin,
    Thanks so much for this post. We ALL need to unplug a little, simplify a little, take a step back. I LOVE the Internet and am using it to further my business, yet it can become so engulfing. Your suggestions are good ones.
    Thanks again,
    Adam

  • Dr. Adam Sheck

    Karin,Thanks so much for this post. We ALL need to unplug a little, simplify a little, take a step back. I LOVE the Internet and am using it to further my business, yet it can become so engulfing. Your suggestions are good ones.Thanks again,Adam

  • Michael Berry

    Thanks for sharing that Karin. I agree with all of your points. The funniest thing was that I had just decided to start unsubscribing to a lot of emails before I started reading your post. The law of attraction in force.

    Thanks again,

    Michael

  • http://socialnetworkvoter.com Michael Berry

    Thanks for sharing that Karin. I agree with all of your points. The funniest thing was that I had just decided to start unsubscribing to a lot of emails before I started reading your post. The law of attraction in force.Thanks again,Michael

  • Melodie Kantner

    The to do list is key for me. If I don’t use it, I get sidetracked.

  • Melodie Kantner

    The to do list is key for me. If I don't use it, I get sidetracked.

  • http://socialtrafficmastermind.com Anonymous

    Karin, What a great action plan! I keep a handwritten list of tasks that need to be done in a very pretty, pleasing notebook. Every few days, on the left side I write a list of all the tasks to be completed. On the right side page, I list all the immediate goals to be done in the next day or two. Then I cross out and check off all those tasks that are completed. After a few days, I rewrite both lists eliminating the completed items. I like having the old list there so that over time I can really see the progress, all those things that caused me frustration, delays and anguish, that are now completed and in the past.
    Erica

  • http://timedtweeter.com drericagoodstone

    Karin, What a great action plan! I keep a handwritten list of tasks that need to be done in a very pretty, pleasing notebook. Every few days, on the left side I write a list of all the tasks to be completed. On the right side page, I list all the immediate goals to be done in the next day or two. Then I cross out and check off all those tasks that are completed. After a few days, I rewrite both lists eliminating the completed items. I like having the old list there so that over time I can really see the progress, all those things that caused me frustration, delays and anguish, that are now completed and in the past.Erica

  • Anonymous

    Love your suggestions here Karin, I continually access whether what I am doing is getting me closer to my goal or not. Why is that now we have computers to make everything so much simpler for ourselves that we seem to have even less time. Belinda

  • http://controlemotionsafterabreakup.com Bcun

    Love your suggestions here Karin, I continually access whether what I am doing is getting me closer to my goal or not. Why is that now we have computers to make everything so much simpler for ourselves that we seem to have even less time. Belinda

  • Kevin M.

    “Does this get me closer to my goal?”

    That’s a great question to ask!

  • Kevin M.

    “Does this get me closer to my goal?”That's a great question to ask!

  • Susie

    Karin – thank you for this – “Every task I am inclined to work on has to get a positive answer to the question “does this get me closer to my goal?”…. This is relevant to so many things not just reducing the time I spend online. Reading it right now is what I need – it feels serendipitous!…
    As a new and inexperienced blogger I have wondered and despaired at times how come people don’t respond – I just read your other post on that – and the thing that I have learned is that I need to trust that people are reading and valuing what I write and it is important to “be unattached” to how people receive what I write….
    Both of your blog posts have reminded me that you never know where what we write will end up and the impact it can have…….because here I am reading your work nearly a year after you posted it and because of the impact on me I will share it with my clients and networks and it will make even more far-reaching ripples! Thanks for following me on Twitter!

    • social bookmarking

      Hi Susie, thanks for stopping by and the kind words. I appreciate your feedback. As I wrote, too many people don’t take the trouble to let the author know they read and appreciated the post.
      You are absolutely correct in not concluding that your blog is not appreciated just because nobody is leaving a comment. This is the overall problem, with a few exceptions. I hope to see you back soon. It is refreshing to have visitors who actually provide feedback!

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