Being Productive Online

A new day, a new meme. This time the topic centers around productivity, with Ben Yoskovitz kicking things off. Since Paul was kind enough to tag me, I thought I’d put a little different spin on how to increase productivity with some tips on what not to do. :)

If your profession has anything to do with spending a significant amount of time on the web, you know it’s way too easy to procrastinate these days. With sites like StumbleUpon, Digg, Twitter, Ma.gnolia… you get the idea. There’s so much distraction! I cringe to think of the hours I’ve whiled away on blind surfing. It seems like Web 2.0 has infected us all with ADD, and staying focused is tough to do, but here are a few things that help me…

Avoid checking your email constantly ~

Your messages will all still be there in 10 minutes or half an hour, I promise. While email is a very important part of each business day, unless you’re prepared to write responses right away, then consider removing the tempting little notification which pops up whenever you have new mail. That, or change the frequency at which your app checks for it.

Quit checking your stats all day ~

This is a huge temptation that most of us bloggers give in to all too often. Raise your hand if you’re guilty (me! me!). It’s fun, but counter-productive. I’ve learned that peeking in on my stats when I don’t have time to really analyze them is just another way of procrastinating something else. I try to keep curiosity at bay by checking only twice a day - once just before lunch for example, and again usually later in the evening.

Stop Tweeting, Digging or Furling ~

Or whatever. Picking on Twitter specifically, I personally don’t get it. I know a lot of people are crazy about it but it seems like a glorified waste of time. That said, I will admit to spending too much time on Digg and MyBlogLog, and I always want to kick myself afterward. Although these sites can be good for driving traffic or generating ideas, they inevitably become time-sinks if you aren’t careful.

Cut down on blind surfing ~

Sites like StumbleUpon make it so easy to lose yourself. I finally had to hide my Stumble toolbar in Firefox to keep it from taunting me with constant promises of the next awesome site being one click away. :) If you like to randomly surf, set aside a block of time each day for it, preferably in the afternoon when you may need a mental break anyway, or use it as a reward for getting your work done in the morning!

Ok, now to pass the buck. I’d be interested to hear what Gary, Fyais and Shane have to add (if you haven’t already been tagged)…

Tags: getting-things-done