Infinite Forest

What if you were living in an infinite forest?

Then you could walk forever without arriving anywhere.

That's sort of disturbing, right?

Recognize that the Internet can be such a forest. You can serf and search forever, without accomplishing much of anything.

In fact, some people use e-mail and web browsing as elegant forms of procrastination. Then they're too busy to work on important (and difficult) tasks that need attention.

So here is a friendly nudge to assess how much time you're spending on the web. Specifically, watch for:

1) E-mail.

Are you cycling through your old messages again and again? Are you postponing decisions about incoming messages? Do you have an impossible collection (e.g., thousands) of e-mails waiting for you in your In Box?

Better: Schedule specific times when you will check and respond to e-mail. Set up a file system for e-mails that you need to save. Send replies the first time when you read each e-mail. Make it a personal goal to empty your In Box by the end of each day.

2) Social Media

How many tweets do you read each day? How many do you send? How many messages do you post on your wall in Facebook? How many discussions do you browse in Linkedin?

Better: Know why you are using each social media service. Set goals for your participation. Allocate a specific amount of time for each service. Participate in social media while waiting on hold or during "down" times, such as just before leaving your office. Contribute only when it makes sense to do so (and thus avoid becoming tangled in arguments and trivia).

Key Point: The Internet is a tool, use it like one.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator