How to stop playing on the computer when I have things to do!
"From an Internet slave to Internet savvy!"
How I did it: When I set myself this goal, I was forever procrastinating by sitting on the internet for hours, checking every site I was interested in (twice) and sometimes...just sitting there. I told myself it was because most of my friends were online and that's how I had to keep in touch with them.
However, this was only eating up my leisure time which meant I didn't actually get to ever SEE anybody.
So, I achieved this goal by making an effort to structure my day, allowing myself 30 minutes to an hour of computer time AFTER I had completed all the tasks I had to do for that day. Slowly I stopped wanting to check my computer, then I had been offline for so long that things had stopped happening very frequently...and I got on with my real life I suppose.
Lessons & tips: 1. Write a list of things you HAVE to get done that day. Start with the smallest one and work your way through. Only after all these are done can you schedule in some computer time.
2. Instead of relying on the internet to see your friends, text them, or arrange to actually MEET them in person when you are online. It's so much more satisfying and a better use of your time.
3. Just don't switch the computer on, it's the easiest way. If you begin by switching the computer on to listen to music, it'll lead to signing in "just to check your emails" then the next thing you know you'll have been on for hours. Switch on the radio, or use your ipod speakers.
4. Develop a hobby that interests you. Everyone has something they enjoy doing, whether it be sport, or art, or music. If it's something like web design it'll be harder to stay offline, but if you are truely interested in what you're doing you won't have time to play about online.
Resources:
- My mobile phone (to converse with friends)
- My ipod (to listen to music without switching on the computer)
- My whiteboard (for writing lists)
- My feet (to get me off my butt and actually doing something with my time)
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