Dawdle Now, Pay Later

A huge variety of product offerings doesn’t aid us.

It is insane. From the vast array of athletic shoes to bagels to cell phones to bottled water, there quickly becomes a point at which mega-choices, like mega-information, do not serve the consumer; they abuse him. It seems everywhere you turn, people seek to complicate things.

Many of the devices that we buy could serve us simply, but do they? From TVs to smart phones and everything in between, our electronic gadgets are running us ragged. While technology has contributed to productivity increases, people everywhere continue to wrestle with how to employ technology to best advantage.

Endless Tinkering

Computers, laptops, and notebooks thwart, contort, and befuddle us. We mess around with fonts, change screen backgrounds, slow down or increase mouse speed. We tweak and we piddle. We spend countless hours preparing Powerpoint® slides that most people forget in seconds. We generate reports in duplicate and triplicate, all which end up serving only one function for most of the recipients -- to collect dust.

We sit, or stand, in front of our screens and try to take control of our little corner of the world. We communicate with others and do our best to stay on top of things, but at the same time, we visit our favorite blogs, comparison shops online, and pass our time going back and forth between different social networking sites -- not the essence of getting things done.

The temptation that the Internet provides can lure even the most diligent, loyal, and hard working among us. Who has not strayed during the course of the day, sometimes for prolonged periods? Who has not taken chunks of time here and there away from their day, proceeding all the while as if it won't make a difference?

Blame Yourself

You can rationalize your escapes as long as you get the job done, i.e. who cares if you take a couple of minutes here and there for your own interests? Besides, you’re not on the clock.

Hopefully, desirably, thankfully, you’re not among the lot who strays for large blocks of time throughout the day. You have the ability to self-regulate. You recognize that we live in an information overloaded society with too many websites, publications, and electronic media bidding for your attention. Hence, you meet your time judiciously and stay focused on what matters.