How are your time management skills? Are you someone who gets lost in cyberspace sometimes and needs help staying on task? Do you have the equivalent of Internet ADHD? A timer might be in order. The internet is a vast playground that can detract you from work and as someone who wants to earn an income online, you need to stay on focus.
Beware of Productivity Traps!
If you’re apt to go off to read a blog post or update your MySpace, Facebook or Twitter status and suddenly realise time has slipped away and you’ve been playing in cyberspace for the last hour and a half instead of working, a timer can help you. Set up a little egg timer by your computer and allocate time for tasks. Here are a few tasks you might choose to do it for:
- Social bookmarking
- Link Building
- Bum Marketing
- Blog comments
- Social networking
- Keyword research
- Chatting
As an entrepreneur you are your own boss and as such, sometimes you need to crack a whip and make yourself get back to work! Feel free to dig through our archives here at www.seanseo.com for a few more minutes before you do so, though 
About Sean Rasmussen
Hi Sean,
A timer is an excellent idea which I can easily use. It’s easy to spend more time than you realize.
Just one question; what is bum marketing? I saw it on an earlier post and I forgot to ask. It doesn’t sound pleasant.
Productivity Traps – what do you mean?
Oh, when I constantly go off on a tangent and try to do two or three things at a time and also Twitter etc. Me never! Well, I ‘fess up.
A timely reminder to become more focussed and planned – and to use the stove top timer – that’s a neat idea.
See mya answer below – can’t get it onto here for some reason
I am already using a timer and it works both ways for me – to stop me to go overtime with the stuff I love and to do a minimum time with the things I don’t like (eg filing
). It is a great help and reminds you that you need a break to stretch your legs as well 
Sean,
I remember once seeing you drawing up a circle and dividing it up into 3 pieces – was this similar?
I have setup a daily tasks or to-do list and allocated time for each task. Any time left at the end of the day is a bonus.
Hi Sean
I don’t use an egg timer. I have time management sheets that have the days sectioned into task allocated lots and I have to follow those and tick them off as I go throughout the day.
I always spend Sunday’s planning for the week (takes about 1 to 2 hours) and I use a spreadsheet template with the days’ work filled in and I just tweak it where necessary if I have a meeting or my grandson is visiting and then I make space to have fun time with him.
There is always going to be interruptions (there is no perfect week time wise) and I find printing off the time sheet on Sunday for the week ahead and having it beside me on my desk, I constantly see it and I tick of the completed tasks as I go or write a note on the sheet where I haven’t been able to finish something. At the end of the week I can see where I need to complete outstanding tasks.
I like the term Internet ADHD. ROFL! I have to put my hand up to suffer from that from time to time. It can very easy to go off on a tangent away from the job at hand.
As well as a timer you could maybe put a post it note on the bottom of your screen which reminds you what you are supposed to be doing.
We are our boss so are 100% responsible for your own time and task management. If you were your own boss, would you employ YOU?
What do you mean I have to manage my time!
What have I been doing to the last hour or two?
Well, let’s see now!
Oh I know, I’ve been playing the “Learn And Earn” Commenting Game. And guess what! I’m now in sixth place.
Oh, I know, I know. I have to get back to work soon. But this is so much fun.
Yes it is loads of fun and well done on your effort. Time and task management is about getting the balance.
50/50. 60/40, 70/30 – you choose. Work with ever one is the most productive so long as the other is not going to rack and ruin.
So true…I start by looking up rent prices in Bridgetown and end up looking at landprices in Kangaroo Island a couple of hours later…haha a timer is an eggcellent idea to stay on task m/
Time management – What can I say …. Let’s face it there just isn’t enough time in a day.
Learning to do – blogs to comment on – research to do – Internet ADHD to deal with. An egg timer, I like that but it would probably end up in egg timer heaven. Much like the ever annoying alarm clock! There are plenty of other distractions to stop me in my tracks. Like You Tube … now how could one ever not get totally absorbed with all of that funny stuff to check out
Using a timer is a great idea for ensuring you don’t get distracted and keep on task.
I think I do suffer from Internet ADHD – so much information, so little time.
Tanny
Sometimes I have Internet ADHD! I have spent a lot more time on facebook over the past week than I have for the whole year – but my weakness is reading htrough and contributing to forums – I just get lost in there and I find them quite addictive – I havent found social bookmarking and twitter overly addictive at the moment though which is a blessing.
I mentioned before about going off on a tangent – did it again today – went to do one simple thing on one of my blogs – an hour later – I still hadn’t done it because I was reading linked blogs
There is an email which comes into my inbox every few months about going to get the mail from your letter box, stopping to water, having to replace the washer – finding the lightglobe to replace, having to fix something else and in the end, you didnt get anything done as you were chasing your tail – I always love reading it as it is such a good reminder to stay on track and not get too caught up in things like the social bookmarks – get the work done as well!