
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.