We are all spending more and more time online. We wake up with an app on our phone, use our Fitbits for exercise and step counts, and belong to oodles of social media platforms. But how do you manage your time? Do you need another app? Short answer: maybe. Here are some ideas.
Time Spent Online is Different
You might think you could apply time management to your time spent online just as you would to any other chore, but it isn’t true. It’s so easy to be distracted by the newest video of a camel whose best friend is a cow. Just to get another animal into the list, we can all disappear down rabbit holes because they are plentiful. And time disappears when you’re distracted, doesn’t it? Now where was I going with that idea? Oh, yes.
Interrupt Yourself
You need stronger boundaries if you’re going to survive working online. So decide before you get online what you want to do and how much time you want to spend. Before you dive into Instagram, set a time limit. Set an alarm so that you know when your time is up. And then get out! You might like Time Management for the Tired and Frazzled. The point is, make an executive decision about how much time you want to spend online. And then guard your precious time.
Online Tools That Can Help
One of my favorite tools is Nokotime. Why? Not only can you track your time, you can create reports, which is very helpful. It’s not the cheapest, but it’s easy to use and gives you an accurate pie chart of where your time is going. (I’m not an affiliate, by the way.) Another tool that I love is Dashlane, for password management. Dashlane is free, but there’s also a premium version, which helps you sync passwords across platforms. Another one is Google Drive for sharing documents and images.
Create an Old-School to Do List
Writing down what you want to get done the night before has been known to ease anxiety. Instead of worrying about your tasks for the next day, write them all down. Some suggest writing how much time you might use on a particular task, too. One idea I really like is decluttering your to-do list, as Teodora Pirciu writes. By the way, she has a snazzy Daily Planner for business growth that you might like, too. I’ve ordered it myself and it’s a nice, three-month organizer with plenty of space to write (yes, the old-fashioned way, with a pen).
Have a Favorite Way to Manage Your Time?
Do tell! Let me know with a comment. Thank you.
A few years ago I found myself struggling getting things done. At the time I managed more than 20 social media accounts and four blogs. I realized that between notifications from the social media, email, and text I was being constantly pulled from tasks. I turned off all notifications off except for my phone and communicated with contacts that if they urgently needed me to call or text. I got back on track.
Hi Randy, Notifications can drive you crazy! I’ve got all mine turned off, too. (Great minds think alike, right?)
Thanks for stopping by!
Carol
Great post, Carol!
I struggle with this too, from time to time. I find what works best for me is blocking time for specific tasks.
I also read the “Soul Sourced Entrepreneur” by Christina Kane. Chapter 10 really resonated with me: The Attention Economy. She shares that we rarely pause to consider where we give our attention. We let it get jerked around from one bright, shiny object to the next, with no awareness of the impact this has on our outcomes. We often use distractions as a form of procrastination – because the tension of our work is high (i.e. a deadline or not knowing where to start with a project). I’ve yet to master this, but blog posts like this one, remind me of the work I have to do.
Hi Tess,
Time blocking works well for a lot of people. It’s true about our attention and the bright, shiny objects. There are more and more distractions every day, it seems. And it requires more effort for us to not get distracted! I find that silence helps me focus. Maybe that’s an introvert thing.
I’ll have to check out the “Soul Sourced Entrepreneur.” Thanks for that recommendation.
Carol