Techno-twirl

Whew! Just got off a technology twirl and I'm dizzy. Here I am, starting my daily work, when I look up at my computer screen and wonder, "What am I doing and how did I get here?"

Does this ever happen to you? I started my browser to check on a flight and the next thing I know I'm looking at a cool website for creating graphics and website buttons, and there are four applications open and running on my task bar. Huh? Where's the airline? Where's the departure date? Wasn't I planning a flight?

It's a common theme in this world of Twitter and email. You open an email which has a newsletter with a great link for a website that sends you on to a cool tech page with a great app that you just have to tweet. Then you see a great quote that you just have to add to your file and email to a friend and another email catches your eye with a great event so you check your calendar and see that you are supposed to leave for an appointment in 15 minutes! Where did the morning go and why didn't I get anything done?

Actually there are times that I really enjoy my techno-twirl and as I pop from website to website I find really cool stuff (that I remember to bookmark cuz I'll never find it again:). But I've learned to choose the times I let myself go do that. I give myself a set amount of time and just let things flow.

The rest of the time I tell myself what I'm doing and I stick with it (usually) and just to keep things moving in my day, when I'm going into anything that can suck me into the information vortex, I set a time limit, and sometimes a timer. When I start up Twitter, email, etc, I generally have a goal AND a time limit to keep me on track.

Does it work? Most of the time. It certainly saves me countless hours and increases my productivity. But, like I said, there is value in the twirl and I let that happen too.