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How to Waste a Workday in 6 Easy Steps

May 28, 2011 by Steven A. Lowe

Temptation. Networking. Socializing.

Start Work With Good Intentions…but first

1. Check email

  • respond quickly to minor questions
  • leave major questions and issues for later
  • click on funny video your friend sent and watch half of it

2. Scan Your RSS Feeds

  • skim a couple of articles
  • click a few links
  • read a few interesting bits mentioned in one linked article
  • do a google search for more information on one interesting bit
  • make some notes for a possible blog post about it some time in the future

3. Glance at Your Favorite News Web Sites and Blogs (that don’t have RSS feeds)

  • skim a few articles with catchy headlines
  • read the angry/amusing comments for a while
  • read one article on Windows Phone Development in detail

4. Answer Questions on Your Favorite Forums

  • respond to comments with pithy comebacks
  • write short responses to a few new questions
  • write a detailed response to one question, including researching links to back up your advice

5. And Check in on Social Media

  • read status updates and tweets from important friends
  • post bits about stuff you’ve read this morning

6. Then Check Email Again

  • respond ROFLMAO to a few more jokes from friends
  • reply “I’ll get on that ASAP” to new requests

And Now it’s Lunchtime!

After lunch, restart work with good intentions. Start to look at your to-do list, but check email instead…

And suddenly the whole day is gone.

Sound familiar?

To Avoid This:

  • Today, before you stop working, pick the most important thing to accomplish tomorrow
  • Tomorrow, before you check email or do anything else, work uninterrupted on the thing you picked the day before, for at least a half-hour

That way you’ll at least make some progress before the Internet’s Plethora of Shiny Things steals another workday.

Filed Under: migrate, Productivity Tagged With: email, GTD, procrastination, productivity

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