Always on <> productive
Now that I am always on, ie I have wireless (GPRS) access to most of my applications from my Tablet and my Treo I need to take care not too get dragged into the perils of “always on” addition. The panel on the right, gives some insight into the issues courtesy of HP.
When I had a Blackberry I felt the urge to check emails way too often for example, very similar to the addiction to e-Bay that my wife had but has now well and truly broken.
My strategy is fairly simple, when mobile:
- Switch off the notifications on my Treo
- Gather the information I need onto my Tablet in advance, so I can focus on the tasks I intend to work on and don’t connect – and get distracted – unless I really need to
- Only check my email when I have otherwise dead time, have been away from my desk for a few hours, or get a phone call trigger that requires me to make a response
My strategy at home:
- Switch off notifications
- Make sure I make a plan each day – the tasks on the plan are the priority, not the email
- Don’t have email visible – show my calendar instead
- Only check my RSS feeds twice a day
- Make sure I take some time away from email and RSS to meditate, exercise etc
news.com has some useful insights too
