Do you spend more than a couple hours a day on your computer?
Are you a coach, entrepreneur or CrossFitter who has a lot going on?
Are you constantly multi-tasking when you’re on the computer (switching your music, checking social media, answering messages, working on a project, and clicking on all sorts of hyperlinks)?
Do you want to be more efficient with your time?
Occasionally, you’ll get on your computer to just “browse” or do some research with no particular goal in mind. That’s perfectly fine. Other times, you’ll want to put all of your energy into particular tasks, and get things done quickly. Regardless, I’d suggest that you know exactly why you’re opening your computer and exactly how long you want to spend on there.
As a full-time performance coach and owner of this website, I do a lot of my “work” from my laptop. I try to be very efficient with my time so that I’m not attached to this thing. I normally spend 3-6 hours a day on the computer – blogging, checking in or Skyping with clients, programming, creating new products, putting in my own workouts and nutrition on MyFitnessPal and Google Drive, answering emails, and reading or watching CrossFit-related content. If I’m not doing work tasks, I’m likely looking up travel ideas and plans….on my computer.
I LOVE what I do, but I also love to do other things that have nothing to do with a computer. I’m sure you’d like to have more time to hang with your loved ones, give back, be outside, train more, play, and travel too…right? So, I hope some of these tips will help you be more focused and waste less time when you’re behind the computer.
4 Strategies To Increase Productivity & Be More Efficient On The Computer
1. Before you even open your computer (or immediately upon sitting down), create a list of what you want to accomplish. Put the list in order of priority and jot down how long you want to spend on each task, ideally.
2. Set a timer with the “timer tab” / http://www.timer-tab.com for the amount of time you’re going to be working on your first task, or for the amount of time you’ll spend getting as much done as possible before you take a break.
3. Make sure to only keep tabs open that are related to the ONE thing you’re focused on. Turn off your “incoming messages,” and close all other applications or windows that are not related to the one thing you’re doing. Sure, multitasking might have a time and a place, but it definitely won’t help you do your best work.
4. Put your phone away. You may turn it off, or put it somewhere you can’t see or touch it. Make sure the sound is off as well so you don’t hear calls or messages.
To continue to improve your focus, eliminate as many distractions as you can and implement the four strategies above. When I’m working on the computer, I prefer to be in a clean, minimalist space. I put one of my Spotify playlists (so I don’t have to fidget with it) on low volume, or I work in silence. I normally don’t spend more than 30 minutes at a task before I take a break, and I use the timer-tab when I’m really getting serious…which has already expired, so it’s time for this post to go live!
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