If you’re like me, you probably don’t have many places where you can comfortably execute a weekly review. You probably have a desk that’s also likely to be holding the monitor on which you are reading this, or maybe you have a nice dining room table. As for me, it’s pretty much just my desk (since that’s where my “home base” is, as far as filing and such), which happens to also have my monitor on it. Figure that!

Anyway, it should also be said that I’m capable of spending hours, nay, days in front of a computer without getting bored. There’s always something interesting to read or futz around with, at least for me. Having said that, it’s rather difficult for me to sit at my desk for any length of time without my hands creeping onto the keyboard. So, in true GTD-newbie fashion, I came up with a solution to protect me from myself when doing my weekly review (or mental sweep). I give you what I’ve affectionately dubbed The Monitor Curtain. Here’s how I made it:

• Blank Paper (2 Sheets, but you may need more depending on the size of your monitor), 3-hole punched
• 2 Paper clips
• Stapler
• Tape (if you have a CRT monitor)

Take the two sheets of paper and overlap them so that they will cover the greatest amount of surface area and staple them together. Then, take the paper clips and bend them so that they form crude hooks, leaving one of the original bends in place. Hook the paper clips through the holes in the paper, then hang the whole mess over your display. Voila.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Can’t you just turn your monitor off?” or “Yeah, that’s dumb”. Well, I can’t turn the monitor off because my display is an Apple display and the power button controls the computer power. And yes, it is sorta dumb since I can just take the thing off. The point of my little invention is to put an extra layer of pain-in-the-ass-edness between me and drone-like internet browsing when I should be doing something productive. I like to think of it as a small reminder of what I ought not to be doing, should I be tempted to stray from the task at hand.

Anyway, my first foray into hacking life is complete. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Technorati Tags: lifehacks, productivity, distractions

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