How not to lose 3 hours on LinkedIn?

As I sit down to write this, I realize I have lost track of time on LinkedIn this week. I’ve opened the app for a specific reason, only to be distracted and intrigued by what’s showing in my home feed. And then I’ve not found the answer I opened LinkedIn for.  

Ever been there? Frustrating isn’t it, so how do you overcome it? Here’s my top tips: 

1. Decide on a day and time to be on LinkedIn. Set yourself a calendar appointment and stick to it. I’d recommend being on LinkedIn at least twice a week, if not more. 

2. Have a plan or a checklist or the question you need the answer to written down. When you catch yourself wandering on LinkedIn, refer back to the plan; it helps retain your focus on the task in hand. When you’ve completed your task, then you can reward yourself with reading time on LinkedIn. 

3. When it’s the day and time to be on LinkedIn for you, set your timer. Whether that’s for the full length of time you’ve given yourself or 10 minutes short of the time you’re dedicating to LinkedIn, 

4. Move away from LinkedIn when your time goes off. Refer back to your plan, did you achieve the task you set out to do on LinkedIn? 

1. If not, why not? 

2. Where you distracted by other posts or comments? 

3. How can you adapt your plan to overcome this next time? 

I’d recommend scheduling your time to be on LinkedIn, adjacent to a client or colleague meeting. Then you have no choice but to move away from LinkedIn. 

5. Make use of the save button to read interesting posts or articles later in the day/week. The weekend can be a good time to catch up on your reading.  

6. Schedule a day or morning where you don’t open LinkedIn. I know people who’ve uninstalled the app from their phone for this, so they can’t be tempted with a quick look. 

Be focused, be disciplined, be mindful of the approach you want to take to LinkedIn.