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Save
Time Online
How often do
you go onto the Internet to find something and find
that you've been there for ages? Other jobs aren't
done and you're not sure you really achieved much.
It is very
easy to spend a lot of time online without intending
to, but most of us don't have that sort of time to
spare.
With a bit
of effort and management, you can use the internet
efficiently and productively.
- Referrals
Whenever
practical and possible, use recommendations to
start your internet search.
By using
recommendations, you save yourself the time of
sifting through many sites that are irrelevant to
your needs. It also increases the likelihood of the
information gathered being accurate and up-to-date.
Referrals to
sites can be made by friends and colleagues in
general talk or upon request. Other referrals can be
through information portals, related sites and off
line sources, such as a magazine review or an
advertising flyer.
- Timer
If time is
very limited for the task, either because it isn't
worthy of much time or because you have other
commitments, consider an egg timer or stopwatch.
Set it for
the time you can afford to spend on this search - or
perhaps five or ten minutes less so you will have
time to finish up the last page you visit.
Alternatively, set a timer for half hour or hourly
blocks so you can monitor the time spent.
Not only
will the timer keep you in touch with how long
you have been online, the knowledge of it may
help keep you on track; subconsciously, you won't
allow yourself to waste time as each minute has
become precious.
- Specific
Each time
you search for some information or an item on the
internet, be clear about what it is you want to
find.
Take the
time to clarify things; instead of vaguely searching
for facts about having pets, look for answers to a
question such as 'which dog breed would be best
suited to my lifestyle?'
The
more specific your quest, the easier it will be to
target your search words and to determine if a site
is of any use to you -
a quick scan will show you that pet site A is only
about cats and goldfish, so you can close it and
look elsewhere.
- Focus
When you
are searching for information, it is very easy to
get sidetracked online.
For
instance, if you are researching about asthma you
will come across links to parenting issues, first
aid courses, alternative medicine and allergies. All
of these may be interesting, but if they won't
answer your original question they are using up your
allotted time unnecessarily.
By all
means, bookmark links to items of interest for later
use or have a notebook handy for ideas that occur to
you as you research, but keep your search focused on
your topic (eg. asthma.)
A narrow
focus means there is much less relevant material on
the net so you can finish quicker.
With some
discipline and management, you can keep your
internet time under control and have more time for
things you like to do.
Tash Hughes is a Mum of two in Melbourne. She is also a writer and owner
of Word Constructions. Tash is available to write articles and profiles for any
business, as well as doing other business documentation projects. You can see
her site and services at www.wordconstructions.com
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