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.