Internet Technology Catches Up To Procrastinators

I think we all know what it is to procrastinate. Seriously, though, we're connected to the internet all the time, and there can be so many things on there that seem more interesting than whatever it is we're supposed to be doing. If you have that problem, the internet now has a solution to protect you from it. I found this fabulous article focusing specifically on how not to waste time online.

The Web is replacing the TV as the #1 time-thief in our lives. And, unlike the TV, the Web does not respect the boundaries of work. Thus the time you spend on the web "working" is inherently intertwined with the time you spend "playing." As you can tell from our How To: [traverse_corporate_firewalls Traverse Corporate Firewalls] wiki entry, this cause for excessive amounts of stress for everyone and particularly affects those who charge by the hour (and thus actually lose money to procrastination, in addition to less free time).

Here are a few tools that you can use to help the watchful eye of your employer relax a little, and maybe focus on someone else for a change.

The article suggests downloads, like the temptation blocker, which will temporarily block you from being able to use certain applications. I really like the idea of the MeeTimer, a Firefox extension that shows you where your time is being wasted and tries to advise you into not wasting it.

A core design principle is to 'advise' you, rather than 'force' you. This is because there are plenty of times where you legitimately need to bend the rules - e.g. to check some new resource for work - and thus you waste time (not to mention become frustrated) fighting against tools that try to block the Web. MeeTimer does not fight, it guides.

Other ideas include different types of hourly breaks and a countdown to remind you that it's time to work. The Procrastinator's Clock also seems pretty awesome. It's guaranteed to be fast, but doesn't tell you how fast -- and changes.

So what will motivate you to be on time if you use this clock? FEAR, UNCERTAINTY and DOUBT! Use of this clock shows that, although your friends have created a separate timetable just to accommodate your legacy of tardiness, you really care about being on time. By assuming that the clock might actually be telling the correct time, you'll hopefully assume that that afternoon meeting is sooner than you thought and get back to work. Hopefully.

I have not tried any of these tools out yet, but they do seem like good ideas. If you try any, comment and let me know how they work out for you.