"Kids squeal with delight when they receive gifts and mail"

 

Time Flies When You're Wasting It

By Alana Morales

I have been working from home for about a year now, but until recently, I 

wasn't really that busy. Now that my writing business is picking up, I have 

determined that the number one distraction of at home workers is also the 

number one necessity: the internet.

How many times have you told yourself that you were going to check your email 

real quick then get to work? How many times have you then checked your email 

and found something interesting? How many times have you found something 

interesting, clicked on it, which brought you to something else that was even 

more interesting, and then looked at the clock to see that 45 minutes had 

passed? See what I mean. One click, and you are spiraling out of control.

Guess how many times I clicked away from writing this? Three, and I'm only on 

the third paragraph. The internet is a great thing, unless you love getting 

mail, chatting to people you have never met and helping people in various 

online groups. (Not that I fit any of those, I'm just saying.)  

Want to be more productive during the day? Close your email program. I bet I 

work at least 50% faster when I don't hear my email dinging at me every 10 

minutes. Yes, I know I can turn the sound off, but then how would I know if my 

precious emails have been returned?

When I first began working for myself, I checked my email about every 10 

seconds as I anxiously awaited orders. I checked my email with such fervor that 

you would think that I was expecting to hear that I somehow won the lottery and 

they were notifying me by email.

The other day, my husband was making fun of me because I was gone and the 

computer was beeping the entire time. Why do I get so many emails? Because I 

join online groups so I can get emails. Not just any emails, but emails from 

people I don't even know. The groups I join are relevant and include several 

writers groups and work at home mom groups, but if I really wanted to, I could 

go on digest. This means I could still get the emails, but in bigger groups and 

with a delay.

Am I on digest? Of course not-then I wouldn't get as many emails. I also 

wouldn't get emails as they are posted. To my credit, there have been a few 

times where I was on digest, and I could have responded to the questions posed, 

which could have presented free advertising opportunities, but, nooo, I was on 

digest. I missed out.

Want to know how to waste more time? Go to an online chat. There are several 

chats that I 'pop' into regularly, and I do feel like I gain from most of these 

chats. Here's a little secret, though: sometimes I go to my chats just to 

socialize with my 'chat friends', who, come to think of it, should also 

probably be working. (Email click count while typing this: 5 and counting)

Why the allure? I think it goes with women's social nature. Working from home 

is usually a very solitary endeavor. Chatting provides a social outlet, 

especially if you have little ones around. It's always nice to reassure 

yourself that you can converse with an adult, even if it is online. I also 

think it goes with our need for approval. It's nice to check in with others in 

similar situations and see that they are experiencing the same ups and downs as 

us.

After writing this, I hope it will serve as a personal reminder to not check my 

email as often. That may be asking too much, considering I clicked away more 

than 10 times while writing this.

Copyright © 2004 by Alana Morales.

Alana Morales is a stay-at-home mom of two and the owner of two home-based businesses. My Little Mailbox, http://mylittlemailbox.com, offers personalized letters, pen pals, and craft clubs for kids. Her other endeavor, http://www.thewritedecision.com offers writing, editing, and proofreading services to individuals and businesses. She is also a sucker for email; you can contact her at wahf@alanamorales.com. 

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