Three Ways to Do Less

There seems to be an inevitable progression in the lives of many web workers: we get more and more overloaded with sites to update, things to do, systems to follow, interests to pursue, blogs to read…until something snaps and we have to reset our lives to a saner level once again. It’s easy to understand this pattern when you think about it: there are thousands of people out there building bright, shiny things for you to get interested in, and only one of you to be interested in them. To preserve your sanity, you need to set some limits on how much of the web world you try to absorb.

Over time, most web workers develop their own systems for cutting back their daily load on a gradual basis, so that they don’t have to throw everything out at once. Here are three proven strategies for getting your own overload back under control when you feel your free time vanishing under the strain:

1. Add One, Drop Two – A simple idea from Amazon’s Jeff Barr that works great for decluttering your RSS reader, social network friends lists, and similar dumping grounds. When a list you haven’t reviewed for a while is getting too long to handle comfortably, force yourself to prune it back whenever you add something new. Adding a new RSS feed? Get rid of two of them that you’re not really following any longer. Repeat until you’re back to a sensible list.

2. Try a Trial Separation – Having a hard time figuring out whether a particular social network or instant messaging service or desktop filing utility is a part of the solution or a part of the problem? Turn it off for two or three days and see whether you miss it. If your life isn’t worse for doing without, and you discover that you prefer the extra time to the extra busyness, leave it off.

3. Inertia is Not a Good Reason - Much of Web 2.0 is designed to make it easy to get started: set up an account in one minute or less, confirm an e-mail address, and you’re in. This is good for trying things out, but it’s also good for piling up accounts on a lot of services. Remember, you’re not married to a service because they made it simple to set up an account. Ask yourself after a week or a month whether you’re getting actual value: is this service bringing you business, or contacts, or laughter, or relaxation, or anything else useful? Or is it just consuming your time because it’s managed to become a part of your daily routine without you ever making a conscious decision? Getting rid of routines that don’t actually contribute to your life in a meaningful way can open up space for the things that you really want to do.

Got your own tips for doing less and preserving your sanity in our world of overload? We’d love to hear them in the comments! 

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