7 Things You Can Do When the Internet Connection is Out

So, yesterday my internet connection went out.

After quickly accepting that I started thinking about what I could do now.

Here’s what I came up with and got done (which to a large degree was stuff I usually forget to do).

Maybe you’ll find something of use for the next time you run into the same situation.

Write a post.

If you’re a blogger you can work on your next post. It is easier to focus on your writing when the tempting internet is out of the picture. And even if you have written a post for today or tomorrow it is always good to have an extra post of two done in case something happens (you get sick, you have to do some travelling for a few days etc.)

Clean your desk.

I find it pretty satisfying to remove old coffee-cups from my desk, sort my stuff and throw out what I don’t need. A decluttered and ordered workspace brings clarity and order to the mind. Plus, according to a series of interviews that Brian Tracy cites 50 out of 52 managers would not promote a person with a messy desk. Even if the person was doing a good job.

They couldn’t trust a position of responsibility to someone who couldn’t keep himself organized. Take a look at you workspace and see what it might reflect about you as a person.

Clean up your computer.

Cleaning up your computer has the same benefits as uncluttering your desk. You can think more clearly without 43 icons and files on your desktop. And you can find things more easily if they are put in the right folders. Plus it can improve your productivity and decrease procrastination.

If you for instance have a habit of checking website statistics, RSS-feeds, email etc. too often delete the most accessible shortcuts to those things. Remove shortcuts on your desktop and bookmarks from your browser. This has helped me to cut down on such addictive checking and rechecking. You can also uninstall programs that are wasting too much of your time (or you never use anyway).

Get things organized.

I remembered that I hadn’t changed some passwords in ages so I did that (and wrote down what those new passwords are). I added and removed some names from the address book in my email-program. I also ran a full scan for viruses with AVG and one scan for spyware with Ad-Aware. And plugged in my mp3-player to remove some old songs and fill it up with new stuff.

Back up important information.

If you’re at work I guess this often already taken care of. But if you have a computer at home you may also want backup important financial documents, emails and precious vacation photos. If you’re a blogger it can be useful to backup old texts – if you have them saved in Word or something similar like I do – and graphics you use for the blog.

Take a break and go for a snack.

If you have been working for a while and your are starting feel unfocused there is sometimes a simple solution. Get up, walk a round for a bit and eat something.

Go for a walk and some fresh air.

If the snack and the break didn’t boost your energy levels try going for a short walk and get some fresh air. This can both raise your energy and lower your stress levels. Or if you have the opportunity, take it a step further like I did and go to the gym.