Stop Wasting Time Online With 4 Actions
A recent home improvement store commercial encouraged viewers to “do more” instead of merely looking at and saving projects online. This got me thinking about how much time I waste looking at ideas for “someday.” We all do it. I have a wall full of recipes on Facebook that I haven’t gotten around to making, let alone eating. It’s fun to fantasize about a Pinterest-perfect life, but it’s time to stop wasting time online.
Now that we all carry around mini-computers in our pockets and have access to a thousand lifetimes worth of information, it’s easy to get caught up in exploring, learning, and dreaming. These are things you have to do though, right? You have to plan and learn in order to grow.
The key is to find a balance in your time spent on and offline to make real progress and growth. It is easy to learn how to do anything online, but if you don’t know how to create something with the knowledge, you’ll have nothing to show for it. Here are some ways to balance consuming and creating in your daily life:
1. Paint the furniture, bake the cookies, make the craft
Okay, well this one’s obvious. If you see something you really like, get off your phone and go make it happen. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Better yet, call a friend and make it a date. After you’re done you can post about it and your creation can inspire others.
2. What do you find yourself repeatedly having to teach people?
Do people constantly ask you for fitness advice? Write out sample workout and nutrition plans in Google Docs and email them to save yourself time. Better yet, start a blog or YouTube channel to see if your knowledge can help a broader audience. Not only are you able to assist more people this way, but you can learn how to launch your own website if you want and add more skills to your virtual toolbox. Use affiliate links in your blogging and social media to get money for product recommendations.
3. Skip school
If you’re serious about learning something new, you might feel like you have to get a degree, but that’s not always the case. You can stop wasting time online and teach yourself a lot watching videos online and reading free blog posts and eBooks. This will only work if you are super motivated and dedicated to creating useful projects.
As you learn, begin creating as you go. Figure out a way to incorporate this practice work into your current lifestyle. If you are in school, choose topics for assignments that truly interest you and take the time to make the projects be standalone stellar examples of your work. This might mean you go above and beyond and don’t necessarily turn in everything you did to the professor. It also might look like editing the project after it’s been graded to make it a better product that doesn’t have to conform to the assignment’s limitations. Either way, it’s much easier to expand the scope while the work is fresh in your mind than after the fact.
4. Get Paid to Stop Wasting Time Online
If you want to be a web designer, find a friend or family member who needs a site and help them out. Volunteer for a small business. Check out a site like Flexjobs.com that posts legitimate work at home opportunities and apply for part-time work. Or, turn your Pinterest-worthy crafts into an Etsy store or check out your local cottage food laws and start selling your famous brownies at the Farmer’s Market.
By creating more and consuming less, you’ll be trading mindless browsing for extra income. You can use this to start a new direction in your career or have some extra fun in your hobbies.
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