A Neat Trick for Avoiding Wasted Time

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  Enrico Pallazzo09/12/08 Report as spam
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  RE: A Neat Trick for Avoiding Wasted Time

  Those of you with children (or those of you who used to be children) may remember the Frog and Toad books. There's one story where Frog and Toad are overeating cookies. I mean, they're really going on a binge here. They try to implement measures such as those above (tie the cookies in a box, put the box on a high shelf, etc) but they ultimately realize they can always undo what they've done in order to continue the feeding frenzy (untie the box, climb the ladder, etc). Finally, Frog puts the cookies out for the birds to eat, and poof... no more cookies. Toad went off to bake a cake, but Frog was happy knowing he had his will power. I've tried doing similar things whilst procrastinating, but it always comes down to will power for me.

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  shahrani09/14/08 Report as spam
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  RE: A Neat Trick for Avoiding Wasted Time

  Unfortunately I don???t have will power, I smoke. So tricks like this really help. Lots of times I would purposely leave my mobile at home to avoid answering calls from people who have nothing more important to do. If the mobile is with me I fined my self obliged to answer.

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  ayeshadawson09/14/08 Report as spam
  3

  RE: A Neat Trick for Avoiding Wasted Time

  My toughest job is to wake up when the alarm goes off in the morning! I could keep snoozing until 8!
  So what I do is, place the clock in the hall. That forces me to go there and to kill the horrid thing that threatens to wake up the neighbors.
  On my way, I splash cold water on my face.
  After that, I can easily resist my warm, cozy bed.

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  the limority report10/07/08 Report as spam
  4

  time waster

  we do what we can to make it work for us, whatever IT is. the tip about blocking your own access to a time-sucking site (e.g., myspace), is practical and quick! and if i may add to that: have someone else (e.g., a roommate, friend, spouse) type in the password (as you look away!) necessary to program the browser to block access to the site. and make the person promise you that no matter how much you beg, to not tell you the password! i had my roommate type in a password that i told her to make up randomly so that, even if i hung her upside down by her toes, she couldn't tell me what it was!
  
  makes living without certain things you thought you could never live without suddenly make you realize just how much more peaceful life is and how simplicity is such a stress-buster (the more possessions we have [tangible and even not tangible, such as websites to surf], the more stresses we have.)
  
  while leaving a box of cookies out for the birds to eat is simple and not all that hard, others really can't put their mobile telephone, television set, or computer outside with those cookies --- a different kind of discipline is necessary when the item is not disposable (or easily disposable!)... and bottom line, we all do what we need to do that works for us.
  
  and if i have to put my roommate outside so that the birds can come eat her so that she won't tell me the password, well, then...i would consider that as an option. thank goodness for her that she really has no recollection!

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  schugh3012/06/08 Report as spam
  5

  RE: A Neat Trick for Avoiding Wasted Time

  Use time effectively and positively. What else do you need?