Ask Slashdot: Software To Help Stay On Task? 301
GiboNZ writes "Like many others, I easily get distracted when working on a computer. Say I work on a task — be it a programming job or bookkeeping or whatever — and need to quickly check something on Google. Unfortunately after a while I often find myself on Slashdot or eBay or reading emails instead of continuing with the job I was doing before. Maybe if I had a 'single-tasking desktop' it wouldn't be such an issue. I couldn't Alt-Tab to my email client with tempting 200 unread emails, Alt-Tab to browser with 10 tabs open for later, Alt-Tab to unfinished document from yesterday, Alt-Tab to ... you know what I mean. I want to be forced by some technical means to work on the problem I should work on. Will alone doesn't work — I tried. Like when mowing a lawn — there I've got nothing else to do and I keep mowing until it's finished. If I could multitask in the same way I can on a computer our little backyard would take me the whole day to do. Any ideas how to inhibit the distractions ever present on modern multi-tasking internet-connected desktops? I genuinely want to be more productive but the technology is against me."
Simple Suggestion (Score:5, Insightful)
Turn your wifi connection off. After the first few 404's you'll be surprised as how much work you'll get done.
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If you need the network for some reason: leechblock (firefox extension) works for me
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Jerry Pournell, famous sci-fi writer and technology commentator used to keep a simple computer in a 'writing room' that had no Internet access and no unneccessary applications/tools installed, for serious writing work.
I would imagine the answer is to avoid 'researching' while writing, and simply pull the Network connection when writing. Most serious writers I've read about tend to drop 'markers' in their text to indicate something to be looked up/researched during editing.
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Like when mowing a lawn — there I've got nothing else to do and I keep mowing until it's finished
Even simpler suggestion: open a lawn-mowing business... it seems the technology help you there (only half-kidding here. The serious part would be: are you sure computer work/programming is appropriate for you? You seem to be motivated by diversity rather than long stretches on focused work)
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The question then becomes: is the OP an ADHD candidate, or are they just normal and computers encourage distraction?
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Re:Simple Suggestion (Score:5, Informative)
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My experience (my daughter has ADD) has convinced me that ADD is not a lack of ability to focus, but rather a lack of ability to focus on things you're not interested in or see no point to. My daughter can focus for hours on something she wants to do, like sewing, playing video games, or making videos. The problem is our educational system regards the ability to read and comprehend hundreds of pages of material you could care less about as the highest virtue. Unless you later become a game show contestant, most of the stuff you're required to memorize in school is just useless trivia.
That doesn't sound like ADD. That' sounds like, "This is SOOOOOOOOOOO boring!"
If your daughter is able to stay on tasks that are of interest, she may be misdiagnosed. Sewing is a repetitive task. Focusing on that is easily more difficult than paying attention in school and may be a sign that what she has is lack of interest and a mirror of your own attitude toward school. If you regard it as mostly wasted time, it shouldn't surprise you if she expresses disinterest.
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Ritalin helps, but there is still the danger that your gonna focus on the wrong things.
Re:Simple Suggestion (Score:5, Funny)
In college, I once took some Ritalin to study for a test. I swear to god, I inadvertently wandered onto some porn before it kicked in... and then I ended up masturbating for THREE FUCKING HOURS STRAIGHT. I shit you not.
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Uhm, thanks for sharing...
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Why's this marked insightful? It's a troll. While ADD is without a doubt over diagnosed, that doesn't mean it isn't a real problem. In a world where we can scan peoples' brains and find out that yes, different brains are functioning differently than others, why do we still tolerate this level of ignorance? The idea that every person's brain is the same and that you can just will yourself to do better needs to die. We know there are numerous people who suffer mental conditions that we can actually trace to a
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What the hell kind of Tylenol are you taking? Also, not all Americans are idiots, you fucking frog, wop, sand jockey, Limey bastard, or whatever the fuck you are ;)
He's American. (Or at least lives there. And most of the rest of the world calls the drug "paracetamol".)
Re:Simple Suggestion (Score:5, Insightful)
find out why you can not concentrate on your job. You're too tired? go to sleep earlier in the evening ... works wonder. Your job is boring you? Then either it's just momentarily and you should stop procrastinating and force yourself to do it in the knowledge that the good stuff is coming soon. If it's not a momentary boringness then assume that this job is not for you. Try to find out whether it is your workplace or the occupation per se that makes it hard to concentrate on your work. If the first, then actively look for a job at a different place, if it is the second that it won't matter if you change your workplace ... you need to find another occupation that a) can pay the rent and b) makes you happier. Notice how I never talk about "get a better paid job". Money is nice but, in the end, you won't take it to your grave and past a certain "I can live more or less comfortably from that" amount, it will make NOT you happier.
If you are a consultant or running your own business and you can not find a way to actually force yourself to do your work, then consider the fact that you might not be cut out for indenpendancy. Nothing to be ashamed about, and good of you to try it, but being an independant worker means much MORE work and much stronger self-discipline than being a salary man. Try to get a job which pleases you with a fix monthly income and paid vacation. You will be a lot happier.
tl;dr: find out why you can not concentrate on your work, act to fix the problem. Do not drop some aderall, as they will NOT make you happier, just more "productive".
now, dear AC, your turn ...
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I take Vyvance, a modified form of Adderall. It helps. I should be putting together boring controls on a web page right now, but I'm wasting time on slashdot instead... time to get out of the chair, make coffee, and take Vyvance. I only discovered it in my 40's after seeing how it effects my kids. Sometimes I wonder how my life so far might have been different something like this been available when I was a kid. Instead, I found pot, and for a year went to school stoned. That worked well enough to get
Re:Simple Suggestion (Score:5, Insightful)
I would strongly advise against the chemical path. Couldn't it simply be that he has bad organization skills? The 200 unread emails are a sign. My prescription, for first-level intervention would be:
1] A daily to-do list posted on the wall, with priorities assigned by number. Cross out items that are finished, add items that you need to.
2] better use of mail folders. One should be "personal", another "useless". I keep folders named "corporate" for stuff about production meetings, a couple for specific reports I have to file, twenty or so according to the jobs I have to do, with shipping dates on the name, and one called archive that gets all the finished jobs.
3] A calendar on your phone, with alarms for important stuff
4] use your smart phone for quick google lookups.
5] since I already have a notebook I plug an auxillary monitor into the computer and use both screens. You'd be surprised how having the priority task always in front of me helps keep me on task. I'd suggest the same for anyone with attention issues.
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I would strongly advise against the chemical path. Couldn't it simply be that he has bad organization skills? The 200 unread emails are a sign. My prescription, for first-level intervention would be:
1] A daily to-do list posted on the wall, with priorities assigned by number. Cross out items that are finished, add items that you need to.
2] better use of mail folders. One should be "personal", another "useless". I keep folders named "corporate" for stuff about production meetings, a couple for specific reports I have to file, twenty or so according to the jobs I have to do, with shipping dates on the name, and one called archive that gets all the finished jobs.
3] A calendar on your phone, with alarms for important stuff
4] use your smart phone for quick google lookups.
5] since I already have a notebook I plug an auxillary monitor into the computer and use both screens. You'd be surprised how having the priority task always in front of me helps keep me on task. I'd suggest the same for anyone with attention issues.
If only it were that easy to organize my email. I need 50 folders just for projects I've worked on. They keep coming back. I'm an electronic designer and a manager and there are always issues that come up even after designs been in production for years. (e.g. parts went obsolete, techs don't know how to debug).
1. But I want to reiterate what you said about lists. It's the world-recognized number-one tool for ensuring that important things get done. There are people who get stuff done without making
There's no app for that (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:There's no app for that (Score:4, Interesting)
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That's true. It takes hardware, too. Learn to program a micro controller and use the FTDI usb to serial driver to build a contraption that uses a relay hooking up the mains power to your chair so that it switches on every time you fire up your web browser.
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Actually, there is an app for that: Freedom [macfreedom.com] is a Mac program, if not strictly an "app", that turns off your internet for a time you specify. It can't be turned back on before time is up (they claim) without rebooting. Probably there's a way around it, but better not to try. A friend of mine swears by it.
Myself I agree that Pomodoro-type approaches to discipline are the most helpful. I've benefited a lot from Neil Fiore's The Now Habit.
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No, you need hardware to do that.
Get an iPad. Between the touchscreen keyboard and it's inability to multitask, you'll drop all of those bad habits like a rock.
Or go stark raving mad.
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But you can have a manager stand behind you all day looking over your shoulder...
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A good manager will terminate him and replace him with someone who wants to work.
Not to sound like an ass, but I was one temporary covering for a friend who owned a computer shop. Time = money and so many out of work it makes me angry at the injustice when grads work at walmart and the rest watch youtube videos?! I made them work or sent them home.
I do not have time for babysitting
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You can't magically change your behavior and habits with a piece of software.
Nope, but you'd be surprised what a consultation and psychological evaluation by a competent psychiatrist would accomplish. Specifically, the high rates of ADHD amongst computer geeks. And when I say high, I mean I know more people who have it than don't. There's probably a pound of Adderall XR sitting in desks on the floor I work on alone. No, I really to mean a pound. And yes, I do know how much a single pill weighs. I was bored, and I did the math one night.
You're on the right track, which is that you're
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I'm a little shocked... you seem to be telling a true story! I work in a startup in San Francisco with a bunch of computer nerds and I don't see any adderall at all.
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There's probably a pound of Adderall XR sitting in desks on the floor I work on alone. No, I really to mean a pound.
Assuming you are American (timezone + pounds), you've backed up this post [slashdot.org].
I'm left wondering how many of my colleagues would be prescribed drugs if we were in America.
About a year ago, I realised I was having trouble focusing at work. I didn't go to the doctor. I thought about what the problem was (switching to personal email or Slashdot too often), and why I did that (it was so easy, as I left the tabs open in my browser). I removed the temptation to look whenever I used the browser by closing the tab
Re:There's no app for that (Score:5, Interesting)
I use "ManicTime" to track my time. It gives almost accurate account of what I have done on my PC. I have created a few categories and assigned websites / applications/ documents to those groups.
At the end of the day I can see how much I have spent on work, academic job, entertainment and unidentified. The awareness (of my exact performance) has caused me to focus more and improve the situation. There are other applications similar to ManicTime (I forgot the name) which can additionally block the websites categorized as "entertainment" for example.
One inportant note is that some of the existing applications upload all your actions to a website and a server side software does most of the job. These applications are the most horrible thing for the privacy. They record all web page you visit, all applications your run etc. I selected ManicTime from among a dozen because it is 100% client side everything.
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You can't magically change your behavior and habits with a piece of software.
So you're saying that biofeedback therapy doesn't work?
Windows 3.0 (Score:2)
Your welcome.
Low tech solution (Score:2)
Windows 98? (Score:2)
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Actually I bet Windows 98SE is too old to be vulnerable.
Confess your lack of productivity (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Confess your lack of productivity (Score:5, Insightful)
What a bunch of ****es on here. Here we have someone asking for help in staying on task using computer, which DO cause attention deficit, and every post chastizes him.
There is a real issue here - I've done it myself. Wandering the Internet almost subconsciously as an alternative to doing work. The brain, after millions of years of training to seek stimulating things, is raising stimulating things to the top of awareness. The dog with the fluffy tail in a YouTube video is far more interesting than row 15 of a financial spreadsheet.
Re:Confess your lack of productivity (Score:5, Insightful)
Cry me a river. Here is a top on how to avoid watching youtube videos of cats when you should be working: don't go to youtube and don't search for videos of cats. I bet you somehow manage not to go to a porn site when at work and jerk off in your cubicle without help of any software, so just do it the same way when it comes to other distractions. I hate it when supposedly sane people act like they are not in control of their own behavior.
Re:Confess your lack of productivity (Score:5, Insightful)
sane people act like they are not in control of their own behavior.
It is true. Don't pretend you are in control of yourself at all times. While, for now, it is considered the normal thing to do, being a control freak is only being stubborn for the sake of a cultural norm. You see people go slightly over speed limits all the time, you see them smoking, drinking, lying, procrastinating, cheating, jaywalking, ..
Are _you_ not overweight, speeding, smoking, drinking, lying bastard yourself? Good, I'm real happy for you and imma let you finish but realise that ain't the norm and it ain't realistic to expect people be robots. Flogging oneself for being human is stupid when there could be technical help to overcome that and turn him into the happy-consumer-busy-worker-bee the society expects from us. That is, if one wants to succumb to such a role.
Re:Confess your lack of productivity (Score:5, Insightful)
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and that you should have enjoyed your life and family instead.
Which is far easier to do if you're not starving and homeless. And for that you need money.
And for that you need all this "work" bullshit you think is so unimportant.
Work is not important for its own sake. It's important because it provides the resources you need to do exactly what you advised: Enjoy your life and family.
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80% vs 20% (Score:5, Interesting)
Like it or not, you are only productive 20% of the time. It doesn't matter how your work pattern is. So even if you had a single-tasking UI and only kept your main task window open, you still couldn't reach more then 20%.
You should instead concentrate on being ultimately efficient in that 20%. That's the secret. Sometimes, bright ideas on how to achieve this come to you in the remaining 80% while you think you are not working...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seymour_Cray#Personal_life [wikipedia.org]
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You should instead concentrate on being ultimately efficient in that 20%. That's the secret. Sometimes, bright ideas on how to achieve this come to you in the remaining 80% while you think you are not working...
I meant when visited by elves of course ;-)
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80/20 was a figure of speech that I improvised right of the top of my head. I could have written 50/50 and my post would still make the same point.
Feel free to modify percentages to help you but please stay focused on the core idea.
Are you on salary or paid by the job? (Score:2)
If you are paid by the job, you can only waste so much time without being inefficient.
OTOH, in the cosmic scheme of things, you'll soon be dead, so pick your own balance.
If you're a programmer who telecommutes (Score:2)
Goal setting (Score:5, Interesting)
Your mind contains a sophisticated goal setting mechanism (among other features).
To activate it, write down your goals for the day. If it's important to do X hours of work on a particular task, write that down.
It's important to write it out longhand - don't type it. No one knows why this is, but I suspect that writing things out longhand rehearses the goal in several sensory modes: you're speaking the words as you write, you're feeling the words as you write, and you're seeing the words as you write.
Goals should be present, positive, personal, and measurable.
Positive: positive logic. You can't say "I stop doing XXX" because the goal mechanism is a lower-order mechanism and can't do logical negatives. Say "I *do* xxx" instead.
Personal: Start the goal with "I", as in "I complete X hours of work".
Present: Phrase the goal in the present tense, as if you've already accomplished it. "Today I *do* X hours of work on XXX".
Measurable: Some way to determine that you're making progress. Writing "I purchase a new car" is less effective than "I set aside XXX dollars towards purchasing a car".
Tape the written goal to your screen and occasionally glance at it as you're working.
This works for all types of goals - short and long term. So long as they're doable and reasonable, writing them down engages your mental systems to make the outcome happen.
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It's important to write it out longhand - don't type it. No one knows why this is, but I suspect that writing things out longhand rehearses the goal in several sensory modes: you're speaking the words as you write, you're feeling the words as you write, and you're seeing the words as you write.
This, this, this. I never studied in school, but I did take copious notes in longhand (which were never looked at again) and did just fine on tests. I found that the simple act of taking notes seemed to firmly inst
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I remember another thing, list the tasks under each goal, but the important part is being able to tick them off/put a check mark opposite each task. It is crucial to see where things lie and where you are in relation to the goals. This in a sense reinforces the reasoning behind the longhand as well; each check mark concludes the task with a "Done!" bit.
Stop it! (Score:5, Funny)
Stop it or I'll bury you alive in a box!
(I don't make change.)
You too? (Score:2)
Like many others, I easily get distracted when working on a computer.
iShock (Score:2)
iShock, the app for the easily distracted.
When you stray from your work apps, the iShock will gently remind you via electric shock to get back on task!
If you're a manager (Score:5, Funny)
Schedule more meetings.
Edit your hosts file (Score:5, Funny)
There's an entry in there that looks something like this:
127.0.0.1 localhost loopback
Change it so it looks like this:
127.0.0.1 localhost loopback slashdot.org
Strict Pomodoro Chrome Extension (Score:5, Interesting)
Hosts file (Score:2)
I use hosts file to block time wasting sites at work. Just map them to 0.0.0.0 and enjoy the productivity.
Tea (Score:5, Interesting)
I keep a tall can of Arizona Green Tea with Ginseng and Honey (cold tea, $0.99 each at the grocery store, and they are tall cans 695mL each). I take a sip every few minutes, as one does when one has a drink nearby.
The result is two-fold. First, instead of alt-tabbing away during natural cagnitive breaks, I wind up taking a sip. That sip ends in five seconds, and I'm faced with the same screen, so I resume the same work. More importantly, very soon my bladder fills up. Turns out that with a full bladder, I push to get one-more-task done before getting up to go to the bathroom.
The task itself distracts me from the bladder issue, and I wind up on the next task. Then the bladder issue distracts me from the alt-tabbing. Then the task distracts me from the bladder. Then the bladder distracts me from the alt-tabbing. It's circular, and it lasts until the work is done or I really can't sit anymore and the bladder takes over.
One ninety-nine cent can of this fairly healthy tea tends to get me a good three to five hours no matter what.
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Phosphoric acid and corn syrup FTW!
You're bored... (Score:5, Insightful)
Delayed gratification (Score:4, Interesting)
Failing that, get yourself a desk with a screen that can easily be seen by others. I'm assuming you work in an office or something here... if you are working from home then your employer has made a foolish decision (self employed or not
Your Head Asplode (Score:4, Informative)
As with many human problems a technical solution isn't always best. The real underlying issue is that our brains are built according to a fundamentally parallel architecture which isn't very well understood. Your consciousness is something like a "software" trick that gives you the illusion of serial operations. You can focus the spotlight of attention on one thing at a time but you're never really doing that, it's just a simulation. Classical computers are the complete opposite--though in modern times we do now have truly parallel CPUs. It's not just technology that's against you, you're working against the nature of your brain.
Your problem is that you are trying to force your brain to function in a way that it is antithetical to its design on a fundamental level. Doing this for too long causes real and measurable fatigue. If you are finding yourself overstressed from the demand of focusing too intensely on a task you should change your workflow. I would suggest breaking up your time into smaller chunks, maybe of 15-20 minutes so that you are not focused on any one thing for too long. Not every task is amenable to this procedure, so there's going to be time when you simply have to endure.
You can also set achievable goals and have some sort of metric for measuring and verifying them. Write down that you'll answer X number of E-mails or spend 15 minutes doing that twice a day. Write down a schedule and tape it to your computer screen.
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This is probably overly-obvious advice, but: stream music that you like while you work. That will give the non-verbal/non-analytical parts of your brain something to chew on while the analytical parts are working on your code; if they like it, they'll stop sending so many "I'm bored" interrupts up to your conscious mind.
Either that, or find a way to make your work more interesting. Bored with JavaScript? Recode your app in Brainf*ck ;)
I'm working on it. (Score:2)
Procrastitracker (Score:2)
This won't change your habits, but at least it's gonna make you feel bad about them. Windows only, unfortunately.
Chronic Media Multitasking (Score:5, Insightful)
it's not the computer, it's you (Score:3)
Smoke less weed, allow times for it and period when you don't. Finally, you are probably not giving yourself enough breaks from the screen and it's your body's way of telling you to get up move around and grab a drink, come back to it and you will be more focused on what you are supposed to do.
Above all take responsibility for yourself, it's not the computers responsibility to get you to use it effectively. So remind yourself "stay on task" and eventually you will.
Get more diverse work (Score:3)
I couldn't stand a regular 9-5 job. Almost 4 years ago now, I was fired from the last I worked at and haven't looked back. In the last 30 days I've worked on about 16 different projects for various clients. That's typical for the last three years. Many of those projects are long term, multi-year, projects but none of them occupy all my working time. I work on them, take a couple days off for the client to review and give me feedback, and then I repeat the process. It's very rare now that a single project takes up all my time for more than a week.
You just need to embrace your ADD and find diverse work to do. Then you can distract yourself with productive things to do.
The other thing to do is start getting paid hourly. If you're not being productive you can just clock out and come back when your brain is ready to cooperate. Being paid for 8 hours whether you do nothing or something is probably not helping.
The other ADD friendly thing for me is having a backlog of tickets. If I have one thing to do, my brain tends to shut down because it's bored by the prospect of doing one thing. I need to be close to overwhelmed with tickets in order to maximize productivity for extended hours.
You have Internet Affinity (Score:2)
Separate work and personal computing (Score:3)
What bothers me is this "200 unread emails" bit. If these are work-related emails, why aren't you reading them? If they aren't, why do you have you personal email open when you're supposed to be working?
It sounds like you're using a single machine to do both work and personal stuff.
Set up a second user account for work. Don't keep bookmarks to Slashdot, eBay, etc on your browser on the work user account. Don't set up your personal email on Outlook. If you install games on your computer do it from the "personal" user account side and set it to only be accessible for your user account so it's not tempting you from the Start menu on the Work side.
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Simple Solution (Score:2, Funny)
pomodoro timer (Score:5, Informative)
Well, if you can hold your attention on a single task for a short amount of time then I would try the Pomodoro Technique. I had issues similar to what you describe and this has helped me a great deal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique [wikipedia.org] Briefly: you pick a task, set the timer (the recommended time is 25 minutes), focus on that one thing, and then reward yourself with a five minute break. Reset timer, repeat. It can become game like, challenging yourself to stay on task until you get to the chime, and the 25 minute boundary seems like the right level of challenge versus attainability. Lots of free software/apps out there to help you with it.
Faster computer, blank homepage (Score:2)
Get the fastest computer you can, and set your browser's default homepage to (blank).
I find that my worst temptations to hit Slashdot at work are whenever I go to do something that just... ends... up... being... painfully... slow. It's rare for me to stop mid-thought and go hit Slashdot. It's common for me to go launch something, get stuck waiting 30 seconds for something to time out before the network will let me continue, get frustrated, angrily jump over to Slashdot for a minute, and end up having the ne
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...the opportunity cost of having just 2-4 10-minute periods of that same employees' productivity get incinerated every day.
I wish it was just 2-4 10-minute periods. I have no hard data to back me up, but with my current work-machine it certainly feels like I spend between 60 minutes to 120 minutes each day simply waiting for the computer to respond. Common tasks that my home-machine completes in under a second easily take anywhere between 20-30 seconds on my work-machine.
Special user account with strict policies? (Score:2)
If you're on Windows 7, you could create a new user account that has a number of special group policies that block apps or functions you don't want to have access to while you're working. Obviously you could bypass this by logging into your primary account but if you're determined enough, you'll be able to bypass any suggestions anyone gives you.
Why a tech solution? (Score:3)
I don't think even more tech will resolve your issue. Everybody is different and I don't know it will work for you but what I have done is:
1. Find a job were I work on challenging, engaging projects. If your mind is wondering off, chances are you have a really boring job. Find a better one.
2. Get quiet working conditions: eliminate distractions, shut down email, IM, put phones on DND. If something urgent comes up, they'll have to come over in person. If your job requires constant distraction, either train yourself to handle the quick context switching or find another job.
I think this TED talk is relevant: http://www.ted.com/talks/jason_fried_why_work_doesn_t_happen_at_work.html [ted.com]
Kill Facebook (Score:2)
Try time tracking (Score:2)
I had a similar issue, and I'm self-employed, meaning I wasn't just losing time but also money. The problem was massively mitigated when I started using Toggl for time tracking. I became averse to stopping the clock, and would fight distractions and keep working. I still need about 2.5 hours of distractions to work 8 hours, be they lunch, breaks, etc., but it's much easier now.
And use the hosts file trick to break the habit of just opening a new tab and losing 15 minutes.
This is all assuming you like wh
Virtual desktops = single-tasking UI (Score:3)
First of all, as many others have pointed out, there is no magic technological cure.
However, I personally like to use virtual desktops so that there is only one application visible at a time. Out of sight, out of mind. I use Fluxbox without the panel, so I really only have the application window visible. Of course, there are no icons on the background. I can't imagine getting any work done on a typical Windows box that looks like a candy store.
I can't give any general advice on how to actually concentrate better, but you could start with actually trying and wanting to do it. For example, I recently returned to student life, and I wonder about all the kids chatting with each other and doodling on Japanese puzzles, when there's a lecture going on. Later, the same students will complain how they "don't remember" the stuff, and they have to study again at home (thus wasting valuable 'student life' time). It's the same thing with any work. Think about why you're there, are you actually interested enough, or should you perhaps change your career.
Speaking of change, I find it incredibly useful to have two projects/hobbies going on at the same time. Alternate between them whenever you feel like a break from one, and you'll stay productive for a long time.
Turn off the distractions (Score:2)
These days are all about information overload. You need to simplify.
Do the following for a month. And I mean really do it - don't do it half assed. Do it completely - commit to it.
Check email only 3 times a day: Once in the morning, once during lunch, and if you must once at the close of the day. All other times, turn off the notification that you even get email. Turn off your cell phone. Shutoff all IM clients. Tell your boss that you can't be interrupted unless it's a critical client problem. Exe
Leechblock (Score:2)
I've been using a Firefox extension called Leechblock [proginosko.com] that allows you to set a limit to how much time you spend on a website. When your time's up, away goes the site.
I could open the blocked website in another browser and continue, but /. without being logged in, which is painful enough that I rarely do it.
a. I only have Firefox and IE installed, and IE is a stock install without any saved passwords, cookies, adblocker etc. so I end up browsing
b. the blocking page serves as a reminder and psychological barr
The technology is not against you. (Score:2)
I tend to have a similar problem, though not as severe as in the OP's case. When I really need to get some work done, I often go to the National Library, a stately old building in Vienna, and settle for a nice place in a studying room, close to a window with a view upon the garden. Of course, I turn WiFi off. Amazing what one can do in one day.
Daily folders with daily icons (Score:2)
Each day I make a new folder for the day: "02" for March 2, under folder "03" for March, under folder "2013".
Pick an icon for the folder based on my mood, hopes, expectations for the day.
Drag a shortcut to the desktop.
The desktop has daily shortcuts from the previous two or three days. (Also some shortcuts for most-used apps, off to one side. Not too many -- the point is to keep the desktop free of "anything I'm not using right now, or not likely to use soon several times a day".)
Open up yesterday's dail
Rachota (Score:2)
Im self-employed so I use Rachota to keep track of my time. Its a java app that allows you to enter in things you are working on and runs a timer for each one. It asks you with a pop up what you are doing every 10mins to see if you changed your task and keeps track of your productivity time verses your down time. its pretty good.
Vitamin-R (Score:2)
On Mac there is a program called Vitamin-R designed to solve this problem. It's designed to set short term goals and keep you focused. It's not bad I think.
Hey neat idea (Score:2)
I don't know if I would restrict your use to a single-task desktop. That seems counter-productive.
I think I might enjoy planning or coding something to this end, though, because I've felt the need for the exact same thing.
You would have to dedicate yourself to it somehow. Either going to the app and opening your "target / focus" app through the anti-distractor, or else have it load at login and then monitor what applications you are opening. As you open each app, it will take focus and come to the front of
How are your reviews? (Score:2)
Sometimes we don't get enough feedback from our bosses at work, but usually we get reviews a certain number of times a year.
Are your reviews telling you? "Shape up or ship out."
Or are they saying, "Smooth Sailing?"
If you are having poor reviews then this is an employment problem, if your reviews are fine then it is simply a personal problem.
If you've already been getting bad reviews at work, you should probably be getting your resume in order, and doing other stuff to make the transition to another job. I
Establish an agenda (Score:2)
It sounds like you have an above-average set of resources designed to allow you to save items of interest. The key would be in using them properly.
First, it's a good idea to map out your typical workday. When are you most able to get things done uninterrupted, when are you most/least mentally acute and so forth.
Then take the distracting tasks and parcel them out to when they are most convenient. Turn off the "You've got Mail" alerts and stuff like that in favor of set times of day to check for important stu
I've tried it all... (Score:2)
I'm self-employed, and the work I do requires that I be online pretty much all the time. I definitely understand what the OP is talking about – the combination of the multitudes of distractions available online and a job that requires you to always be a single click away from those distractions can be tough. I've tried a ton of different strategies, but the ones I found that seem to work the best are:
1. Switch to a standing desk. I find that when I'm standing up, the fact that I will end up physically
Re:For Gnome/KDE have a look at 'hamster'.. (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
I believe it is set to a 45 second timer to switch action. Even if it is back and forth from talking, wide screen, his face, her face. Adds do this to. For people who don't have TV, it is a very interesting note. I haven't had cable in a long time, and miss out on all those great adds and tv shows. I forget why they did it, but it is to someones pocket book advantage. I couldn't find a reference either.
This has lead to the issues we have today more than anything else. They keep saying don't let your young c
Re:termination (Score:5, Insightful)
You are thief. If I pay you an hourly wage and you goof off (...) because they are committed and work very hard to make sure all goals are achieved and not quit at 5:01.
Ah, the perfect american style of management, I own you every second of work and if you go home at 5 PM sharp despite working all day then I'm still a bad employee because it's my fault that your ridiculous goals aren't met. I'm so glad I don't live in the US, either you can pay me by the hour and if you want me to work overtime you can pay me time and a half, or you can pay me for performance and butt out of my time management. You want performance even though I'm on the clock? Then give me a performance bonus or I'll be just as slow as the guy in the next cubicle who does less and is paid the same, I'm not particularly interested in your management positions and with enough years of experience on my resume I can probably get a suitably senior position at some other company anyway. The whole "work hard now and be rewarded later" is for young naive fools.
Oh yes and I've worked a bit with Indians, not Chinese though and while some of them are very bright many of them have simply perfected the technique of looking busy. Much like the Americans who stay 10-12 hours at work to show how much work they're doing it's mostly for show, I'm not worried anyone will replace me on actual performance and luckily there's companies that care more about that than showmanship. But I guess in this respect US managers and Indians catering to US management style deserve each other. Now I try not to really goof off at work but sometimes I've found it effective to take a five minute distraction when I feel heavy-headed and that I'm not really finding the best solutions instead of working two hours on a design only to find out it wasn't all that smart. Many not so great choices now have so much piled on top they'll never be undone.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Let's see, I work with prestressed concrete. At various times I may google -- dayton Superior inserts; the density of A36 steel, the DOT specs for galvanizing plate, the dimensions of a particular bulb-tee section, the formula for concrete elasticity based on ultimate strength, the standard construction details for an OK Corrall style barrier wall, or a jersey barrier or an Oregon thrie insert barrier attachment system...
Google is often the quickest way to an answer.
But I do agree with the general gist tha