The internet can be very distracting. If for example you were reading a post on this forum and clicked on a link then found something which interests you on the other site, you'll spend more time on that website even if you hadn't planned on visiting it. If you were trying to buy something, you might find that instead of spending time looking for the place where you'll find the best deals, you'll opt to look at a site or two and lose out on some good deals elsewhere. Question: how do you guys avoid getting distracted when you are surfing the net? Do you use browser extensions? Desktop software?
I don't really get your point. From my understanding, what you're saying is basically what surfing the net is. You go to certain websites and move from there, while getting to read awesome articles while you're at it. It's not easy to lose focus when you're looking for the best deals especially if you really wanna buy the thing you are looking for.
Self control! I try not to have too many windows open now because it distracts and I turn down the volume so there are no ad sounds or little beeps if I am online with chat, messenger or skype. I used to get distracted when people would chat, so volume off helps and with my gmail I close the windows as I can see if people want to chat and the flashing distracts me as I feel I'm being rude!
I just choose to stay focussed. Sometimes I might get distracted by a link to more information I want, but I just open that up in a new tab and leave it there until I'm done what I was already doing.. otherwise, I jumble up my already jumbled up brain. Especially since I know there will be even more links to even more information on that page as well and suddenly it's neverending lol
Yeah, as others said, I don't think there's anything else you can do than just self control. I mean, come on, it's just web sites, it can't be that hard, right?
Yea, agree with this. A good portion of the internet is used as one giant distraction. And if you're looking to buy something on the internet, why wouldn't you search around for the best possible deal? That's the whole point of shopping online! If you're finding yourself using too much time online, then I'd recommend only going online when you have some time to spend. That way, even if you get "distracted" and start searching around different sites, it doesn't really matter to your schedule all that much.
Asking me not to be distracted is like asking me not to breath . I tend to just go with whatever catches my attention at that moment and often forget what I was doing right in the middle of doing it. I do not even fight it anymore and am okay with being a little distracted. Luckily it doesn't hurt me too much at work or in my personal life.
I'll try to rephrase it . . . Supposing you were a freelancer. You have an article you are writing but you need to do some research. In your hunt for information, you find something unrelated on the site you visit but it's interesting enough to keep you reading even if you don't have the time for it, how would you avoid being distracted [in future]? The others have said you need some self-control. Your 2 cents?
I just check out whatever it is that's getting me curious and spend some time on it, just so I could get it out of my system. If I have an extra 5 or 10 minutes to spare then I'd browse some possibly good deals if I see a good enough ad to click, but if I'm rushing something obviously I'd have much less of a choice and therefore would more likely just concentrate on the task at hand.
I don't use browser extensions or anything, but I know people that use extensions or themselves to avoid opening more than a few tabs at a time. Others simply block certain websites in their browser to stay focused. I can see the value in doing these things, but it's not something that I dabble in.
As a freelancer myslef, I fond the trick is to break my time up into chunks, allowing myself regular "surfing" intervals throughout the day. If I don't do this, I find I get regularly distracted so rather than risk losing a couple of hours in one go, I'll break off from working for about 10-15 minutes every couple of hours.
I assume you're trying to control your surfing habits. I always set hard time limitations on my surfing, and don't do a session longer than 15 minutes. I also only do them after I've finished some sort of work, so that they serve as some kind of reward.
I try very hard to stay focused on what I have to do. If I click on a link that looks interesting, I bookmarked it right away, and closed it right after. After I am done with what I supposed to do, then I go back to check out the link. This is the only way to keep me from straying
It's called the Internet for a reason. When you're surfing the web it's almost impossible to stay in one spot so staying 'focused' on a single site or task is almost a pain in the butt to manage. If you're talking about being distracted by the web, the only thing that gets me going is to just turn off the damned thing. I usually pull the plug on my internet whenever I'm doing something that needs focus, not unless you're doing something that needs connectivity.
For me, it takes practice. Marketers are good at grabbing your attention. I keep saying in my mind what my objective is, and I stay on that path. Often, we think if we don't click on something interesting we see, that we will miss out on something. So, sometimes I will bookmark something and only return later.
I don't really have a fixed "how" but to avoid distractions, I always go back to this question: "Why am I using the Internet?" Of course, fun and relaxation are also part of the equation, but more important than those two are: 1) the need to increase my income sources and 2) to find valuable information that will help me in my chosen career. Recalling my purpose helps me from getting distracted.
I set my goal and I don't open any other windows other than the one I am working. I also don't click on any other links no matter how interesting it looks. Making a time frame and focusing on your goal takes a lot of self control. I have been tempted many times to a lot of distractions but somehow managed to stay focus.
It is a matter of self control. It's easier for me to focus on what I'm doing if I start early in the day. If I do lose focus, I remind myself that there's plenty of time for that later and I would feel much better getting it all done. For example I love playing the Sims but I know I would feel horrible about playing if I didn't get work done first. Also depending on what I'm doing, if it's something that I don't need TOO much concentration on I often listen to music. That breaks up the monotony. Sometimes I pick music that I'd be comfortable with putting in the background that I wouldn't get too immersed in like electronica.
I don't open recreational websites to begin with if I'm not in the mood to be distracted. But sometimes, online work gets tedious and boring that I need a distraction. So I intentionally open other more interesting websites to break the monotony.
My tabs are kept at a minimum for that exact reason and because it looks cluttered and I dislike that. When I go on Chrome, I will usually go to my most visited websites; social media and maybe SBNation. Then as I get intrigued in more out of the box parts of the internet, I'll usually make the decision to keep the tab I have open or not. Usually I keep myself occupied on each tab so it's hard to sway myself from one to the other. When I'm doing an assignment, I usually have Chrome open and Microsoft Word. I don't allow myself to go above two tabs, and especially close the tab anytime I veer onto randomness. I make sure not to click external irrelevant links because one thing will lead to another and from studying White Willow Deforestation I could be on a page about the latest sports news. It's weird how our minds let this happen, but we must train self-control I guess, lol.
