Productivity crushers or sources of inspiration?
Here is a brief list of things to which I am magnetically drawn, even though my time would be better spent writing.
or...
Here is a brief list of things that inform, teach and inspire me, enabling me to do an even better job as a copywriter and content writer for web interests...
- StumbleUpon. Sometimes, I stumble. If you don't do the StumbleUpon thing, you might want to add it to your list of productivity crushers/sources of inspiration. I find some interesting and informative stuff there.
- Tracking. I am a stats addict. I like to look at the stats for this blog and the primary Content Done Better site. I like to know why people are visiting, how long they are staying, how they found the sites, etc. That may not seem really important, at first glance, but it does help me improve the sites and it gives me some additional insight into the nature of internet user behavior.
- Technorati. I like to check who's linking here, both for the reasons outlined mentioned with respect to tracking and because it often helps me find other great stuff to read. I also like to see what others are saying about issues in which I have an interest (professional and otherwise). The Popular lists are a great way to get an idea of the day's hot topics and breaking blogospheric news, too.
- Email. When you think about the sheer volume of email we wade through on any given day, it is really staggering. I'm not even talking about the spam and nonsense, either. Client interaction, prospective client inquiries, ongoing conversations with other writers, invitations from friends for dinner on Saturday (we're there, Paul), sharing tear-jerking and inspiring page with my wife, etc. etc. etc.
- PopURLs. I'm always surprised that more people don't mention being sucked into PopURLs. It's a handy way to catch up with what they call "the latest web buzz." Incredibly efficient, if you ask me.
- Bloglines. I should probably cut down on the number of RSS feeds I monitor, but there is so much good information and insight out there. If you still read all of your favorite blogs by clicking around, it's time to step up to a good online RSS feed reader.
Oh, and of course... There is one other productivity crusher that I neglected to mention... Writing lists of productivity crushers on my blog.
Okay, back to work. In the meantime, I'd like to know about your addictions. Have another great site to add to my list of inspiring educational resources/ways to lose track of time while I should be working?
What do you do? Anything I've listed that I should phase out in favor of your better alternative?
