The internet is a wonderful business tool. What required hours of research, phone calls and the tracking down of experts is now possible with firing off a few emails and a couple of clicks of the mouse. Meetings are arranged without memos, diaries are organised in one go without pen and paper. The internet is here to stay in the working world, and for good reason. However, it's probably the biggest cause of distraction to employees, and destruction of working schedules. Here's how to stop the internet destroying your own personal time management.

1. Do not lose focus online

One topic will have a "chain" of results linked to it, some of which are unnecessary for what you are trying to find out, and will only distract you. Let's say if you're an independent financial advisor, that you're using Wikipedia to research how much your customers were paying in mortgages ten years ago, because you want to find out how much you should be charging according to current rates. Although many websites will have the answer to your question, they will also have paths of distraction. For example, a tool on looking how much prices are in a postcode area. "Oooh, I'll just look at my sister's new postcode", and wham - you are into distraction zone. Soon other colleagues will join in, if you're not careful. This drags you, and your focus away from the task in hand.

3. Keep work and home separate

Depending on how tight regulations are in your office about using the internet "for personal use", no doubt you can access some sites that you would normally surf at home. Gmail, Facebook, Twitter and so on probably won't help you do your job (unless you work in that field), but they will be tempting to sign on to as a matter of habit. When you open Internet Explorer, try to resist having other tabs with these sites on them. You'll only get distracted when a new email arrives or someone "Tweets" something interesting. You'll find yourself checking the sites several times a day, and that time adds up.

2. Distractions are inevitable, so give them time

'What?' I hear you think. 'I was just told that distractions are a bad thing!'. Sure, but they are also inevitable, unless you are a 101% dedicated, robotic worker who never takes a break. That's not a good thing, so make time for distractions. Want to chat to a colleague over by the coffee machine as you get yourselves a cappuccino? Great - arrange a time to do it so you don't just get up when the work gets tough or boring. Then it becomes something to look forward to. Want to look at your colleague's wedding pictures on Facebook? Okay, do that - but perhaps with other people for a set amount of time, so you can all have the benefit of talking about the happy day, rather than each taking time to browse around individually, so no work gets done in the office.

It sounds a little heavy-handed to say "never be distracted". It's true, sometimes we need them for morale. However, if you a) realise when they are happening, and b) reduce the time when they do, both you and the rest of your office will be more productive, with better managed time online.