But that was a long time
And no matter how I try
The years just flow by
Like a broken down dam
–John Prine, “Angel From Montgomery”
“Where DOES the time go?” she asked me. “I can’t get everything I need to get done in a day.”
I didn’t respond.
This is also the individual that I have observed fritter away precious minutes in the day. Sometimes it’s checking her email… and then responding to that email because she perceives it is a crisis. Sometimes it’s taking that phone call when she should have let it ring through to voice mail. Sometimes it’s that 89th attempt at that perfect Google search which will yield the answer to a question. If we’re honest with ourselves, we’re guilty of these transgressions.
I find I’m most productive when I can focus for 60 consecutive minutes. This usually happens on the weekend when I am in complete control of my time and effort. I achieve a high level of productivity when I make the choice to do two simple things… focus and use a simple tool… and the simple tool helps me focus.
It’s a timer.
No, this isn’t an original idea. You can find other bloggers discussing timer utilization here, here, and here. And they all list a few reasons why you should. Here are my reasons why I do.
- The Productivity Jumpstart – There are those days when it’s just darned difficult to get moving. Perhaps I’m sleep-deprived, demotivated, or whatever other BS excuse is rolling around in my brain. We’re all human… it happens. The best way for me to jumpstart the day is to set the timer for 60 minutes and go to work with ruthless precision and execution. This can be something as simple as cleaning a room, getting the laundry going… whatever. The tasks don’t have to include changing the world… unless it’s changing your little corner of it.
- Setting The Personal Deadline – The timer helps me make a personal commitment to complete a project or a series of tasks by the time the alarm sounds. When I make the choice to focus and deliver on that personal commitment, I feel a sense of accomplishment. It boosts my confidence and dramatically lessens those natural feelings of powerlessness and anxiety.
- Get More Done – It never ceases to surprise me how much I can accomplish in one focused hour of effort. My perception is often that this one hour flies by. Once completed, it often feels that time then slows down… there is a feeling of having more time to do the things I want to do versus the things I need to do.
So what about the tools? I’ve got three I utilize the most.
- The Kitchen Timer – This one from Presto works beautifully. For an investment of around $15.00 including shipping, you can’t go wrong.
- XNote Timer – A great and simple freeware timer. There’s also XNote Stopwatch with more advanced functionality.
- My iPod – Yes… most iPods have a timer function. It’s called the sleep timer function. It’s under the Extras menu and you can find directions on how to set this here. Set the timer, insert headphones into ears and hit Play. When the music stops, time’s up.
Here’s an additional observation from personal experience. Don’t be surprised if you’ll want to keep going even when the one hour has expired.
Once you’re in the groove, you’ll find it’s a good place to be.