Just this week, I held a “summer mini-course” for incoming students where we went over the basics of Time Management, Reading, Note-taking, Memory and Concentration. (For any new students from our university looking to sign up for the next round in late August, you can do so here.)

I asked students what their favourite timewasters were and here were some of the favourites:

– Facebook

– Phone calls

– iPods

– Instant messaging

– Shopping

The very first comment when I asked how to deal with these timewasters? Turn off the computer! (Of course you’re going to have to add phone, iPod and TV to that list as well.) Other ways to deal with timewasters here.

I’ve certainly come to realize that the electronics that were designed to make our lives more efficient have become the very thing that causes us to waste time. There’s a tipping point, I guess. For example, Facebook is a great way to keep in touch with your friends and find out what’s new. After a while, though, you find yourself being on Facebook just for the sake of being on Facebook. Hence the advice to turn off that computer.

Still, we’re pretty good at finding other ways to waste time, and to a certain extent, you need to make the decision to waste time. You can turn off everything in your house, but there’s always shopping…

CG