Electronic OCD... sometimes, most of the times, all the time...

Do you get caught in the Electronic "OCD Loop?" 

This is something interesting. I got this from a former colleague. Didn't think there would be such a thing like this but somehow, it does have some truth to this. I would sometimes find myself subconsciously doing this; falling into this trap, as I would call it. 

Here's what would happen: I would just launch the browser and open specific websites i.e. Gmail, ATP tennis sometimes, when I really need to look for some info i.e. some codes snippets or google on forums for info; I would end up opening some sites time and again without knowing it. 

Sad but true… 

"Do you sit there and hit the send and receive for your email inbox repeatedly, anxiously waiting and looking for "something"... not sure what but "something"?

 

 Do you find yourself automatically going to a website, even though you 

 were just there 5 minutes ago and nothing possibly could have changed 

 yet?

 

Do you stop what you are doing everytime the phone rings, even though we know it will take us 20 minutes just to get back into the grove of where we just were... destroying all our momentum.

 

-> free moment -> run to the computer -> check email -> check websites -> ...

<- repeat ...<-

 

Analyze your tendency for falling into this trap, and start thinking of ways to snap out of it when you feel yourself getting sucked into this loop, because it can waste a LOT of your time. How often do you actually allow yourself to fall into this OCD Loop, and fail to stay focused on doing the things that bring results?

 

The electronic OCD Loop involves a phenomenon among many of us in the current informational society where we exhibit a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in the way that we are obsessive about following a specific sequence of actions repeatedly throughout the day, even if they make no sense. If you were paying a person by the hour and you saw them doing those activities, you would fire them... or re-educate them fast.

 

STOP THE MADNESS

 

If at the end of the day you feel exhausted, stressed out and anxious because you know you were busy but are not sure what you have to show for it... then maybe it is time to do things different.

 

Aside of simply being aware of this trap, at least three times per day at scheduled times, you can yourself these two questions...

 

1. Am I inventing things to do to avoid the important?

2. If I were paying someone to do what I am doing right now, would I feel good that the money is being well spent?

 

Although today's technology is great, we are becoming attached at the hip to these things and not giving the proper attention to getting things done. Success is based on massive action (output). And increased output most often necessitates decreased input."