Do you have a Facebook or Twitter addiction? Do you check them 20 or 30 times a day? Do you feel your productivity is compromised due to the constant distractions from other social media sites? If the answer is “yes”, no worries. As a media professional who works with computers most of the time, I could completely relate to how you feel. Here are 7 tricks I use to improve my online productivity and get control of my digital lifestyle.
1. Make a list of things that demand your immediate attention. Often times, we are addicted to social media sites because we don’t know what else we could be doing during that time. Writing down your goals makes you aware there are other things on your to-do list. It often prevents you from overthinking of a Facebook conversation or dwelling on somebody’s Flickr photos. Remember, goals have to be in writing. You need to make a commitment to accomplish your daily goals first.
2. Take a walk or feed your dog. Sometimes, the longer I sit in front of my computer, the harder it is to resist the temptation of checking Twitter one more time, just to see whether I have gained more followers. The best remedy for this is simply walk away from your computer. Tell yourself it’s time to feed your dog or just take a walk in your backyard.
3. Take your social media sites off from your bookmarking list. I used to bookmark all my favorite social media sites. Not anymore. Instead, now I have to type in the entire URL to check my Facebook status. It gives me extra time to think twice before I take actions. Often times, I ask myself, “is this the right time to do this? What other things should I do first that are more urgent than going to Facebook?”
4. Make a public declaration. If you can’t control yourself, chances are you need somebody else to be your judge. Tweet it…. Tell your followers that you are working on an important project so you won’t have time to tweet for the next 2 hours. Your announcement will work extremely well because you don’t want to get caught saying something you can’t deliver.
5. Just do what Tim Ferriss says. Have you read the book the 4-Hour Workweek (book review)? Tim Ferriss, the author of the book, mentioned that he only checks emails once a day. He would set up an autoresponder to make his audience aware of this fact. We can apply the same concept here. If you tell yourself to check Facebook only once a day, practice it until it becomes your habit.
6. Start another online project. Nowadays, there are literally a million other things you can do with the internet. Why don’t you start a blog? Publish an Ebook? Or simply go to Audible.com and download an audio book to listen? You get my point. If there are more creative things you can choose from on the internet, it’s much less likely you will keep returning to the same social media sites again and again.
7. RSVP for an offline ‘party.’ Facebook has become the most traveled social media site in the world because people feel the need to stay constantly connected. Instead of living in a virtual world, why not go attend an offline party? Go to Meetup.com and search for a group near you. Then go say hi to your new offline friends. I have a group called NY Entrepreneurs Business Network in NYC. I have written many posts about offline networking in the past. This trick will help you quickly overcome your social media obsession.
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