How to Waste Less Time on the Internet

I've heard Dave Ramsey say that one of the reasons people are often irresponsible with their finances is because they don't know where they stand.

This principle is also applicable to your use of the internet. It's easy to spend "just a few more minutes" surfing if you don't know how much time you've already blown that week.

I've recently discovered a tool called Mee Timer for use as a plug-in on the Firefox web browser. Mee Timer simply tracks how you use your time on the web. It also keeps a running total at the bottom of your screen of how much time you've spent on the web. If you want to get fancy, then there are other functions available (like the ability to 'label' a site as 'procrastination', 'work', 'communication', 'search', etc. Once you've labeled a site as 'procrastination', you can also choose to automatically 'block' yourself from the site).

Of course, it's easy to ignore all of these self-imposed restrictions and just blow right past the warning signs, but if you have any level of discipline, these little tricks may be just enough to keep you focused in a moment of boredom.