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I don’t know how many times I’ve sat down to do something on the computer; check my email, search for job postings; only to look up and find that it’s two hours later. It seems like I can do ten normal non-computer things in an afternoon, but only a few things when I sit down in front of a computer. They say time flies when you’re having fun, but losing precious time is anything but. I really don’t believe the computer is some sort of black hole, so dense time itself gets sucked into it. I think it’s how time is organized.
The Problem
My time off the computer is divided up like any normal day, into tasks and obligations, most of which take up a short ammount of time each. I can go about my daily business dispensing my time throughout the day to various tasks at my leasure. Since everything is bite-sized and easily understandable, I can afford to take time off and look at the big picture.
On the other hand, my time on the computer is condensed. Since my mind views “on the computer” as a single task, I have a million things to in that one task: writing, updating the blog, playing a game, cleaning out spyware, searching for the latest and greatest free software, online banking, uploading photos, and organizing my music; just to name a few.
Add to that the huge huge resource of the internet, and I have other tasks popping up as well: new bits of news, the new Strongbad Email, new job listings, forums. It’s like wandering aimlessly and I have a hard time refraining from cataloging the entire internet in a single sitting, just to make sense of it all.
The Solutions
The best way, I can figure, is to organize both my thoughts and my actions around the idea that “on the computer” is not a single task. I should focus on writing, updating software, or checking email as a single task that the computer is just a medium for.
The “off” button can be my friend. And if “off” is too drastic, there’s always “stand by” and “hybernate.” My friend the computer can be back in business at a moment’s notice to take care of another little task.
Another, practical thing I can do is edit my software library. Do I really need the Gimp and Photoshop? Am I really going to play Halflife and Doom III at the same time? Do I actually need Spider Solitaire or Minesweeper on my computer at all?
On the internet, I should be willing to ignore things. If I’m looking for financial information, I need to be willing to ignore that notice about the new Winamp update. I can update it later when I have free time.
And if I really want to go drastic, I can put Mr. Computer away and take a break from him. I could leave him alone in the corner for a day, a week, even a whole month.
Even if you’ve put your computer away, there are ways to keep up on your email. Internet cafes are the most expensive, but when you’re paying for time you tend to use less of it. Public libraries are free, but they usually kick you off after a half hour or so, so you tend to work faster. And you could always use your friend’s computer. He might give you more time, but he might get annoyed and kick you off anyway. Either way he can keep you accountable.
It’s amazing how much time you can gain by a simple change in thinking and a little bit of self-editing. Manage your time like a rally car; go lean and mean.