Quit the Internet and Make More Money Online

Ok, let me explain how to beat Internet Addiction.

It sounds crazy, but YES, I can still run an Internet business without having the Internet in my house.

Here’s why YOU should consider making changes to your Internet habits too.

By canceling my home Internet, I’m saving myself a couple of hours per day. Let me break it down.

It means…

• about 20 minutes less on FB and Twitter per day
• 10-20 minutes less on news sites, including ESPN, per day (I just couldn’t help myself)
• 15 minutes less per day checking sales stats
• 60 minutes less in email (time saved by batching all of my email checking into one or two sessions per day)

BIG SAVINGS: saving 30-60 minutes in “transition” time going from email to writing (that’s where you get ‘killed’…as experts suggest it takes about 15 minutes to really ‘get into’ a work task…if you check email multiple times per day, this adds up to serious time wasted. Overall, I have increased focus, greater writing production, more free time, and less stress.

But someone asked, “How do you send email broadcasts?” (like this one).

The answer is…

Starbucks. (BTW, the stuff I overhear in my East End Toronto Starbucks is bizarre. All the employees are addicted to multi-person online role playing games and cartoons. And the number of 13 year old kids that buy large Starbucks products is astounding.

Some must be consuming 5mg of caffeine per pound of bodyweight. Legal speed, geeez. That is INSANE. And enough to drive them insane.)

But back to the Internet…and living without it…

I now spend two 90-minute sessions at Starbucks each day answering email.

Now I admit, that is still TOO MUCH time, but I should have that down to just an hour in the AM and PM…or one 2-hour session in the afternoon.

Plus, that time includes setting up email broadcasts. I can switch to writing the email at home and then sending to an assistant to set up in aweber, cutting down my Internet time.

While this set-up allows me to get more work done, the biggest benefit has been in stress reduction.

Knowing that the temptation of the Internet and email are a 5-minute walk away (in the cold, Canadian winter) has actually reduced my stress…rather than increasing stress.

There seems like so much more time in the day now, and even if I just spent the extra hours staring at a wall I’d be better off. An incredible burden has been lifted.

I truly feel liberated from the email & Internet monster. And yes, this sounds pathetic, but I’ll admit, I used to spend too much time connected. Now I don’t. Try some email and Internet vacations of your own. See what it can do for you.

Now, to make the transition, you need to clearly communicate your plan to your team.

You MUST manage their expectations.

The best way to communicate with your team is through ONE itemized to-do list for each person…this avoids sending 20 emails to the same person throughout the day.

For emergencies, use the revolutionary technology called, “the telephone”.

SUPER AWESOME TIP:

Here’s a cool idea I read in a Neil Strauss email…

If you can’t cancel your home Internet (because your family needs it), then get your spouse to change the password each day and don’t let them tell you until you’ve completed all of your work…that will keep you offline and productive.

OK, here’s the email I sent to my team when setting up my new Internet schedule.

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Hey Team Turbulence,

The following information will help reduce email overload for me, and for you as well. I highly recommend taking any steps you can to reduce your personal email volume to boost your productivity.

Anyways…

1.  I do not have Internet in my home anymore.
2.  I will be checking email daily from around 10am to 11am (EST) and from around 5-6pm (EST) ONLY.
3.  If you have an emergency:
1. Matt D. you can text me
2. Lesa & Stephanie – please email Amy and she will text me
3. Ed & Dan you can email Jeff and he will get Matt Smith to text me.
4. Please minimize the number of emails you send me. You can put several topics into one email and send that summary email to me around the time I check my email (see above).
5. No need to reply to this email.

Thank you for your help on this matter,

Craig

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That’s it.

My productivity is already soaring (not that I was a slacker, before, but still…) and stress levels have plummeted (not that I was stressed out, but I feel even more awesome now).

BOTTOM LINE:

Do what you can to fight your desire to access the Internet, check email, log-in to FB or Twitter, or get sucked into the rabbit hole of reading articles online.

Draw the line, cut the cord, and free yourself.

Viva la revolution,

Craig Ballantyne

Make today the day you finally leave a bad habit behind.
Tell the habit “It’s me, not you” and kick it to the curb for good.