Stop Using “Default” Activities. One of the biggest reasons I waste time online is because sitting down at my computer when I have a few moments is a default activity of mine. TV watching fills a similar role. Rather than defaulting to doing these things because they are easy ways to pass the time, I try to actively consider what is on my todo list, and actively choose what I want to do with each moment. As Ali Hale says – choose your life, choose your own adventure:
I have been thinking lately about actively wasting versus passively wasting life. Briefly, I don’t think I actively waste my time – I don’t plan to waste away a week or two of my life without getting something out of it. To me, as long as I get some long term benefit my time is well spent. Work is productive because I learn and earn money to spend on activities I enjoy. At the other extreme, vacations are productive as they provide me time with my friends and family, cultural experiences and once in a lifetime trips.
However, I do often feel like time leaks away from me, and I passively waste it away in small increments throughout the day. Some of the areas where time slowly trickles out are:
My Procrastination Thumbscrews. In my opinion, this is the worst form of time wasting. Not only am I wasting away my time with activities that are not productive, but I am actively stifling my own progress. This includes everything from cleaning my room to doing excessive amounts of metawork to avoid actually getting to the task at hand.
- Wasting Time Online. Perhaps the worst offender first thing in the morning or last thing at night. I always seem to have “just one more thing” I want to check on.
- Watching TV. Just like wasting time online, sitting down to watch TV just because it’s there is a huge passive drain on my time.
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