How to survive the internet

Well, honestly, I don't really know.

I love the internet and all the wonderful joys it can bring me (like the endless inspiration of style and sewing blogs listed in the "Creative Spirits" section). But at the same time, it is the bane of my productivity. You've all heard its siren call, the one that gets louder the more important the task at hand.

In college I used to be able to just close all my browsers when I really needed to work, but my current work requires extensive use of the internet. So I can't just get rid of this productivity suck with a closing of a browser or, in extreme circumstances, the turning off of my wi-fi. And even though, through the wonder of Apple, I can separate my computer's uses into spaces (with a browser solely for work tabs in one corner). However, My problem is not necessarily separating my internet functions, but finding the motivation to get off this wonderland and work.

Here's what I've been able to figure out

1. Close all but the browser you need. This seems self-explanatory, but for one who belongs to the Society of Exponentially Expanding Tabs, closing a browser is a slightly terrifying experience. After so much time of browsing the internet collecting these gems, you don't want to risk losing them. So why not bookmark them all? Because, in this Society, tabs aren't necessarily material you want to save forever -- they may be a recipe you plan to make tomorrow, something you need to share with a friend, a blog you're browsing or a message or artwork kept up for inspiration. It's hard to explain the subtlety of the tabs, but if you belong to the club, you know. So, that is why I like chrome -- in the "recently closed" window, you can pull up whole windows. I always tell myself I'm going to clean out my tabs before I work -- don't believe that inner voice. You'll just spend hours browsing again. Just cold turkey it.

2. Keep work tabs to a minimum. This means take care of the task you need to do with the tab and then close it. I know, especially with my work, there are always things you need to refer between, but the longer you keep a tab open, the greater chance you'll find something in that website to distract you. Also, you'll feel less overwhelmed by your work the simpler your browser.

3. Use a google calendar. I talk about this in schedules, but listing tasks you have to do by hour and setting up pop-up messages can be one way you can use the internet to keep you on track.

4. NO FACEBOOK ALLOWED! or tumblr, or stumbleupon, or twitter, or insert "internet-crack-of-choice here."Also beware of non-work related email accounts -- checking your email is a harmless enough activity until your favorite store sends a notice of a huge online sale that causes you to "just quickly check the site" (because you have to check the sale so you can get rid of the distracting email without losing out on incredible bargains -- that counts as the "checking email," activity, right?). And no, looking up tips on how to stop procrastinating is NOT a legit use of time. Don't even bother rationalizing it.

Once I was on stumbleupon, and it gave me a page that was the sentence "Get off the internet, you're procrastinating!" (or something like that). If I find it I will share -- it made my day, once upon a term paper.

If you've got you own tips, let me know! I need all the help I can get....

Gold Star to the members of the Society of Exponentially Expanding Tabs.