Down with Wifi

internet distractions

 

I’m back on the Q&A kick and was moving down the line of your questions when I  noticed this one from Mandy.

Mandy says:

lisi, u always give the best advice. i need time management help! i always have a project a teacher gives halfway through the year and i do it completely last minute. its so hard! and i dont know how to eliminate distractions because research on the internet gets me to go to youtube or something and then im wasting one hour of my homework time!! any advice??

Mandy, you know just how to ask me for advice. I couldn’t pass up your question, mainly because I feel your pain with this one. The struggle is all too real. It’s gotten even harder to stay on target and keep procrastination at bay when a lot of what you’re doing in school (and as a writer) has you researching online. What I’m going to propose to you might sound preposterous at first, but bear with me. Let these marinate for a while and see if they’re things you can try out.

1) TURN OFF YOUR WIFI – That’s right. I said it. Go up to the wifi symbol in the upper righthand corner of your computer and click ‘off.’ This won’t be easy. Try it for twenty minutes at a time and see if you can make it without going into Internet withdrawals.
1a) If you truly can’t turn the wifi off because you need to do legitimate research AKA you’re so addicted the thought of breaking your wifi connection causes you to break out in hives, then get a program blocking app like SelfControl. This app is free for Macs and will allow you to block out any distracting websites (READ: YOUTUBE, FACEBOOK, TUMBLR) for set periods of time so you can get straight down to business without the constant itch to check your social media notifications. Have a PC instead of a Mac? There’s an option for that too. Go Cold Turkey.
1b) Turn your phone on silent and put it in a place you won’t constantly be checking it. Again, use the timer method by not letting yourself check texts and Instagram likes for 20 or 30 minutes until you can go a few hours without thinking of it.
1c) If neither of the above work, then take the old school route and do your research via books checked out from the library. Doing this has provided some invaluable research material for the Dirty Book Club that I’m currently writing.

 

2) GET CLEAR ABOUT YOUR DAILY GOALS – Whenever you sit down to work on a paper or a project, jot down specific goals you need to hit to complete it. Prioritize accordingly. The simpler the goals the better. It’s much easier to tackle smaller tasks like writing your thesis statement than to go head first into finishing a 15 page final paper.

 

3) DE-CLUTTER, REFLECT, REFOCUS – Take some time at the end of the night to clear all the clutter off your work space from that day so you can start fresh in the morning. Then think back on what you accomplished, what still needs some work and what you can do to hit your mark. By now, you’ll be on the right track.

 

I hope these tips help!

 

TTYW,

 
Lisi

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