Effective Use of Your Online Time

The Internet is increasingly becoming a major time killer for many of us. Involuntarily, we started to spend more time online than we really can afford.

Here is how it goes:
you were sitting at work, you needed to find some crucial information to finish that project at hand, you went on the Internet to look for the information, you run a web search or started browsing through web directory, and suddenly you noticed something that seems very interesting, it could be a banner ad, a link, just a piece of information, or some related ideas that came up that instant and required immediate attention. You clicked on the link to check it out thinking this won't take too long. This link took you to another seemingly more interesting page. Before you knew it, you started to ramble through the Internet aimlessly wasting your precious work time.

Then, of course, there is this sports news that you must read, stock portfolio that you must check constantly, vacation place you need to choose for your next holidays, the list goes on and on, and what about those emails? Sounds familiar! You are not alone! Most of the Internet users are in the same boat.

If you feel trapped and frustrated with your handling of the time spent online, you need to stand back, take a break, and look into the problem from a different perspective. Actually, what you need is more than a break; you need a balanced approach to your Internet activities. In order to understand where you online time goes, the first thing you should do is log everything that you do on the Internet for several days.

Log your online activities

If you scrupulously write down everything you do on the Internet for a day, you will, truly, be amazed to see how much time you waste on unnecessary things like reading spam, browsing through inconsequential websites, etc.

By thoroughly analyzing your online activities with the help of the logs you make, you will be able to pinpoint and resolve the problems ? online activities that are unproductive and time wasters. The idea is to stay focused and do the things that you ought to do and stay out of impulsive moves.

To do lists

Like your daily life, you should make a "To Do" list of the things you need to do on the Internet. First, make a list of all the tasks that you have to do online including routine activities like checking emails, etc. A generic activity such as working with your emails should be broken down into small tasks ? answering to a specific email, making an online order for office supplies, etc. Add every single job related to the Internet to this list. Once you created the list, sort it according to the priority. This becomes your master list of online tasks. Select the tasks you are planning to do in a day. Transfer those tasks to a separate list.

Make sure this list is precise and not too long, so that you can finish most of the tasks from the list - at least the ones with high priority ? within the chosen day. Armed with this list you will be able to tackle the problem of productive use of your online time with confidence.

Resources

Many major portals have free personal information management programs that you can be used to create daily schedules and to do lists.

Yahoo PIM: http://calendar.yahoo.com

MSN PIM: http://www.hotmail.com

If you rather use a desktop PIM, here is one that you can download from the Internet for free: http://www.essentialpim.com

Organizing your computer files

As recently as last year, in order to keep your computer files accessible you needed to properly categorize the folders, save the files in the right folders, and up-to-date them regularly. Even with all these troubles, you still used to have problems in finding files when you most needed them, wasting precious work time. Thanks to the desktop search programs, finding a file on your computer, certainly, became painlessly easy.

Although, you still should try to maintain computer files organized; you no longer have to waste valuable time on finding them. All you have to do is download one of the available desktop search utilities and let it index your computer.

A search tool can help you find any file on your computer, whether is an email or a DOC file, just like an Internet search. You only need to know one word, which you may encounter in that file in order to use the tool.

Resources

Google Desktop Search Tool:

Find information on your computer as fast as you do with the help of Google search: http://desktop.google.com/

MSN Desktop Search Tool:

MSN desktop search utility comes along with a toolbar that you can download from: http://toolbar.msn.com/

Yahoo Desktop Search Tool:

Still at beta stage, it's a very comprehensive desktop search program: http://desktop.yahoo.com/

Copernic Desktop Search Program:

This one came out long before the search engine heavyweights figured out the need for getting your computer files at your fingertips and still one of the best - Free download: http://www.copernic.com

Organizing links of important websites

While browsing through the Internet often, you come across sites that you would like to visit again. All browsers have the options to add the page you are viewing to a list of favorite links, commonly known as "Bookmark". If you want to bring substantial efficiency to your browsing skill, you should create folders according to your interest and add links you intend to visit again to those folders. On the Internet Explorer you create a bookmark using the icon "Favorites", and on Firefox "Bookmarks". You should keep those folders organized for easier access to required links.

Another good option is to use Amazon's Meta Search

Engine A9.com. Once you install the A9.com tool bar, all your web browsing history gets saved. A9.com uses this information to recommend you new sites, alert you to new search results, and notifies you when the last time you visited a page. When you make a query, A9.com searches through you own history, diary, and bookmarks.

A9.com has a neat feature called diary. It allows you to keep notes on any web page you visit. You will see the notes, whenever you revisit that page. It's a very handy tool for avid Internet users.

Another great thing about A9.com is your bookmarks reside on A9 servers. This allows you to access them from any computer you use.

Resources

A9.com search results are essentially supplied by Google. You can download and install A9.com from the page: http://toolbar.a9.com/

Nowshade Kabir is the founder, primary developer and present CEO of Rusbiz.com. A Ph. D. in Information Technology, he has wide experience in Business Consulting, International Trade and Web Marketing. Rusbiz is a Global B2B Emarketplace with solutions to start and run online business. You can contact him at mailto:nowshade[at]rusbiz.com http://ezine.rusbiz.com

shuttle from O'Hare Bingham .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare
In The News:

Attackers use caller ID spoofing and AI voices to steal money. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson provides seven ways to protect yourself.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about the Genesis GV60 MIV, an electric rescue EV with snow tracks for extreme missions.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you ensure a smooth online experience with a reliable, secure home network setup.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about Vollebak’s Shielding Suit, which blocks EM radiation, infrared and tracking for privacy.
Even Apple products are vulnerable to cybercriminals, and a new report suggests the owners of Mac products will have to be more vigilant this year.
An inflatable six-person tiny house from a firm called 2001 looks like a space station with its inflatable dome that is transportable and eco-friendly.
Scams cost Americans an estimated $159 billion every year and average about $3,500 in losses per victim. The CyberGuy has advice to protect yourself.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents
Zeekr and Waymo are joining forces for the world's first mass-produced autonomous vehicle, combining an electric vehicle with self-driving technology.
A humanoid robot training center has opened in Shanghai, a big step in China's efforts to become a global leader in robotics and artificial intelligence.
Security experts have discovered that hackers are targeting apps on the App Store to spread malware that steals information from saved screenshots.
A new luxury SUV combines military-inspired design and high-end luxury transportation and includes two military-grade gas masks to protect against chemical warfare.
80% of stalking victims are tracked using tech. GPS trackers, like AirTags, are among the most popular ways to do it. Here's how to protect yourself.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how to protect yourself against artificial intelligence-fueled romance scams, which have become the most common type of fraud in 2025.
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains the steps to declutter text messages on a Mac or iPad. Apple offers ways to do this more efficiently.
Here's how to take control of the algorithms on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok if your social media feeds aren't showing you content you want to see.
Beware of iCloud scams using urgent messages. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you spot the red flags to protect yourself.
Travel abroad worry-free with these top translation apps for travelers. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson highlights some favorites.
The European Space Agency's Euclid space telescope was going through preliminary tests in September 2023 when it captured images of an Einstein Ring in a nearby galaxy.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says hackers are using Microsoft Teams for phishing, vishing and quishing via social engineering.
Red light camera tickets: Not liable to ID the driver; some are fishing expeditions. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you fight back against tricky fake tickets.
The apps collecting the most data about you are among the most widely used. Kurt the CyberGuy takes a look at 20 of these apps and how you can protect personal information.
AST SpaceMobile of Texas is developing the world's first global cellular broadband network that can connect directly to your smartphone without special equipment.
Community Health Center, a Connecticut-based healthcare provider, has disclosed a recent data breach affecting over 1 million people in the U.S.

Biggest Time Management Mistake

The biggest time management mistake you can ever make is... Read More

The Laundry Has Never Been More Fun Or The Pitfalls To Working At Home

As a home-based, self-employed woman, mundane tasks can be as... Read More

Time Invested Wisely = Your Dreams

This past Friday I was asked to speak with a... Read More

Vilfredo Paretos Principle: The 80-20 Rule: 80% of Results are Produced from 20% of Efforts

Vilfredo Pareto's Principle, or The "Pareto Principle," is more commonly... Read More

Isn?t It Time For You?

Does it seem like there is never enough time in... Read More

Time Managements

There are the golden rules that apply to time. If... Read More

Time Mastery vs. Time Management - Knowing the Difference

How much time do you spend on Mastering Your Time?... Read More

Time: Do You Spend it or Invest it?

Time is our greatest and most precious asset. Time is... Read More

Are You Always Late?

"Fashionably late" is no longer in fashion. In today's heavily... Read More

House Cleaning - Three Ways To Finding The Time

It's always a challenge finding time to clean my house.... Read More

The Ultimate Time Management Tips: 5 Steps To Reaching Your Goals With Minimum Work

Would you like to know how to get 10 times... Read More

It?s Not The Same Old Routine

We are constantly inundated with routine (often boring!) tasks around... Read More

When Is Time Management Not Enough?

A working manager needs more than time management.That old saying,... Read More

Are You Watching Too Much TV?

Many folks tell me that they just don't have time... Read More

New Adventures - in Four Hours a Day

"Can you find four extra hours in your day?" a... Read More

Time Management Training - A Necessary Investment or A Waste Of Money?

Many organisations view time management training as something they'll spend... Read More

Time Management For Home Business Owners

As each day passes, and more and more things need... Read More

Organize Your Time

Most people want to start a home-based business to make... Read More

Time Management -- Urgent vs. Important

"It's just been one of those days?I can't seem to... Read More

Keeping Time

What keeping time really means is...being on time!You know, there... Read More

Whats Keeping You At The Office (9 Tips To Get Home Quicker)

"Work smarter, not harder" is a clich? that has darted... Read More

Prioritize with Two Questions

"Because there will always be something more to do, we... Read More

Webmaster or Web Slave? Time Saving Tips for Cyberpreneurs

Time is money in your online business, just as in... Read More

How To Pack 48 Hours Into Your Day

Too much to do, too little time, constant stress. Most... Read More

Doing Things We Dread

As I sit here in front of the computer... Read More

Mishawaka limo O'Hare ..