Need to spend a little less time online?
The Internet is a wonderful rabbit hole, but it's all too easy to get lost. You couldn't design a better time management challenge if you tried. Our human minds just aren't made to be self-limiting in the midst of such abundance - we're wired to seek out stimulation, more, more, more! Aids and tools for time management online can really help - but as they say, "It works if you work it!"
"Self discipline" is a matter of setting up external limits that will hold you so you can think about other things rather than trying to maintain constant vigilance. The exercise of will power takes a great deal of mental energy - it's simpler, more efficient and just plain smarter to set up protections ahead of time. When you fall down that rabbit hole there's something already in place to shorten the drop. Whew!
A few tools to help you get started:
StayFocusd "StayFocusd is a productivity extension for Google Chrome that helps you stay focused on work by restricting the amount of time you can spend on time-wasting websites. Once your allotted time has been used up, the sites you have blocked will be inaccessible for the rest of the day."
Freedom for Productivity "Freedom is the amazing little app for Windows, Android and Mac computers that locks you away from the 'net for up to eight hours at a time. At the end of your time offline, Freedom allows you back on the internet.
Freedom enforces freedom; you'll need to reboot if you want to get back online while Freedom's running. The hassle of rebooting means you're less likely to cheat, letting you focus on work."
"Self discipline" is a matter of setting up external limits that will hold you so you can think about other things rather than trying to maintain constant vigilance. The exercise of will power takes a great deal of mental energy - it's simpler, more efficient and just plain smarter to set up protections ahead of time. When you fall down that rabbit hole there's something already in place to shorten the drop. Whew!
A few tools to help you get started:
StayFocusd "StayFocusd is a productivity extension for Google Chrome that helps you stay focused on work by restricting the amount of time you can spend on time-wasting websites. Once your allotted time has been used up, the sites you have blocked will be inaccessible for the rest of the day."
Freedom for Productivity "Freedom is the amazing little app for Windows, Android and Mac computers that locks you away from the 'net for up to eight hours at a time. At the end of your time offline, Freedom allows you back on the internet.
Freedom enforces freedom; you'll need to reboot if you want to get back online while Freedom's running. The hassle of rebooting means you're less likely to cheat, letting you focus on work."