In October 2007, I successfully tackled the goal of not dining out for a month. I’m hoping for a similar success in October 2008.

My goal for next month is to reduce my Internet exposure. I’ve realized that as I increase my blog/social network “face time,” my ability to concentrate on any one idea is decreased. There’s a good reason for this - I am surrounded by inspiring blogs and innovative people, who are always throwing new ideas my way; new ideas I inevitably feel I need to act on. This constantly distracts me, making it hard for me to focus on any one important goal.

Of course, “reduce my Internet exposure,” isn’t very SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, or timely), so here is the more concrete detail

For thirty days, I will:
Use PageAddict to limit the amount of time I browse “play” sites (i.e. LiveJournal, Gmail, Google Reader) to 45 minutes per day, per computer (work and home).

I originally had a much stricter goal here (30 mins per day per computer, plus a detailed outline of do’s and don’ts), but I realized the simpler it is, the more attainable it is. My Internet dependency (addiction?) is deep, and I’ve got to start small.

In preparation for this, I’ve been using PageAddict to classify certain pages as “play,” so that when the time comes I can’t cheat by finding different distractions. Obviously, this system is not perfect, but I am hoping it will at least be a helping hand to keep me in line.

Working on Frugal in the Fruitlands, or on the LARP I’m writing, is acceptable, though I will strive to do more offline.

You can do your part as a reader of this blog by reminding me of my goal. Anybody who emails, IMs, or otherwise communicates a reminder to me (i.e. “it’s 6 o’clock… are you reading blogs?”), will get a personal mention on my blog at the end of October, with a link to some of your best content.

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