Managing time while using the net

• Do you lose track of time while using the net?
• Do you turn on the computer with lots of tasks to do but after a few hours discover you've done very little because you ended up surfing and doing other things?

Well, if your answer is YES to both questions, you might find this post helpful. Many teachers I'm in contact with use the net for professional development, therefore we have lots of things to do while using the computer. The other day I was talking to a friend and she complained about the amount of time she wasted online instead of doing what she intended to do.

I've walked that road but am happy to say, my time is better managed now. And what do I do? Well, it's pretty simple.

1. Before I turn on my laptop, I write down a list of online tasks I should do that day, such as answer e-mails, check what my students have posted as homework, check direct messages in facebook ....
2. As soon as I turn on the computer, I go to an online alarm clock  http://kukuklok.com/ and set a time limit for surfing through my social network sites. 

These two simple things have helped me use my time better, juggling the different activities I have weekly: answer e-mails, facilitate an online course, prepare my lessons, check what my students have posted for homework, read articles for my M. A. program, write my theses, attend classes at University, teach  and have fun. Want to read more about this? Check out this interesting article http://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Track-of-Time-While-Surfing-the-Internet

AND YOU? How do you manage your time while surfing?