So many things to do in the world, right? Even before the Internet ever existed, work, going out for vacation, parties or regular leisure, hobbies/ exercise, and family were all things people had to worry about balancing around their already filled scheduled. With the Internet and so many social networks, and other places to go, scheduling has gotten more hectic – especially if you have a business online too!
In the beginning, you will work a job offline while trying to get your business off the ground. The problem is that there are definitely a lot of distractions online. For example, while you might be networking, you might go play some games or end up off on a tangent talking to someone when you really need to get back to what you need to do. On top of that, these tangents could take essential time from family too.
What can you do? Here are a few suggestions:
1. Jot down an allotted time you designate for your internet for the day.
2. Make a list of things you need to get done.
3. It is okay to take a 10 minute break once or twice and hour, so make sure your allotted time includes that.
4. Whatever you do not get done on your list, it will be the first thing you do the next day or time you have allotted. Some people have businesses that require checking at various times a day because their service may depend on their reaction to new orders or possibly troubleshooting (example: web hosts.)
5. When checking email, immediately remove the junk and spam. Whatever is left, prioritize what should be answered first and what can wait a few hours to a day.
6. Make sure to try to stay on topic. You can always invite those you network with to email you and continue the conversation at another time. Do so in a polite manner. People will understand that you are busy, but if you give the impression that you do not care and or they feel like they have bothered you, they may be hesitant to speaker or even do further business.
7. When your allotted time is up, close up your computer and spend time with the family. Although they might be excited about what you are doing, focus more on doing activities with them.
Do you have a business online? How do you fit it in with all your other daily activities? If you have a family, how do you allot your internet time for your business and find time to spend with them? Do you have any other suggestions?
I think i have more of any offline life then I do online since I’m paddling a good 9+ months of the year and I’m barely home, I have no clue what I would be doing online if I didn’t have my sports to keep me sane.
But I think a lot of people need to spend an equal amount of time on and off the computer.