Forum Moderators: phranque
It's one thing to be on someone else's clock, having a supervisor looking over your shoulder or giving you concrete deadlines. Otherwise, it seems too easy to get distracted between or during projects, and surf off to sites that are unrelated to work (Youtube, forums other than WW, etc). What are some practical ways to improve work output, and limit the amount of time spent on recreational web surfing?
How about doing this only after work hours?
IMHO - from your post is sounds as if you have a motivational issue more than a process issue. If you want to be successful I think you need to change your frame of mind. Once you have, you will find ways to combat your tendency to waste time.
How about doing this only after work hours?
Sleep with your laptop next to the bed, when you wake up in the morning do any recreational surfing you need to do before you get up, do the same before you go to bed.
I don't keep a PC at home, because I don't like to associate my home life with my work whatsoever.
set at least 2 hours for recreational web surfing. Once you are done with that am sure the rest can be spent for the "real job".
The problem is that two hours can easily become three, if you're not doing things to really monitor your time. Someone suggested that I use accounting software to monitor the time spent on actual "work", and to try to avoid doing anything recreational whatsoever until a certain number of work hours have been logged. But even then, it's hard to not be distracted. I don't decide to go surfing when I first log on, something pops into my head mid-project that makes me want to check some things out on Amazon or Youtube before I forget.
[edited by: DXL at 2:43 am (utc) on April 24, 2008]
something pops into my head mid-project that makes me want to check some things ... before I forget
That's why notepaper was invented. Write reminders to yourself so you don't lose the thought, then re-focus on your primary task until you complete your goal for that work session.
Something else that helps: I have a kitchen timer on my desk and I sometimes use it to set the time I want to stay on task.
