Write Daily

When it comes to following through on things, I suck. I keep a blog, but don’t update it very often. I’m writing a textbook, but I’m going at an embarrassingly slow pace. I’m supposed to be working on a programming project. I want to apply to grad schools, to study math or math education. Guess how many I’ve actually finished applying to?

There are three things holding me back. The first is a compulsion, or perhaps even an addiction, to social networks. I probably spend most of my online time on Google+ and Facebook. I’ve taken some rather drastic measures to fight this compulsion, including installing the StayFocusd Chrome extension, the most obnoxiously effective web-filter system I’ve ever used.

The second thing is time management. I find if I don’t stick to a schedule, I get nothing done. This problem is easily resolved by just spending 10 minutes every morning planning out my day, and keeping that plan located someplace where I see it so I stick to it. E-mail and phone breaks need to be kept to a minimum, and restricted to a designated time. If you receive a phone call that isn’t related to work, ask if you can call them back later (during your scheduled break). Scheduled breaks are very important. We aren’t robots, even when we are at work, and we only hurt our productivity when we try to be productive 100% of the time. Aim for 80%. Take 5-20 minutes off for every 60-90 minutes of work. Take a proper lunch break. If you find you are unable to focus, that means it’s time to shift your schedule to have a break now.

The third problem is that I’m easily distracted. Not just by social networks and phone calls, but by my own mind. I think of other things that need doing, and I find myself scrambling to do those things instead of what I really need to do. This is a real problem when you work out of your home, as I do. Yes, the dishes and laundry may need doing, but if you aren’t working on work, you’ll find you won’t have the money to have food or do laundry. Combating this problem is an uphill battle. It helps to find a coworking community if you are able to work remotely. Just having other people around can help you stay on task. Tell people what you’re working on, and what your expected deadlines are. If what you’re working on isn’t confidential, get feedback from others.

I’m determined to write daily, and update this blog regularly. To help me stay on task, I’ve changed my homepage to the Add New Post page. Now, when I open up my browser every morning, I’m reminded that I need to blog. So you’ll be seeing updates here much more frequently.

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