Thanks for delaying that memo, phone call, or work on that project to burn a little time reading this article. I know the drill. You’re telling yourself that, “Information is a good thing. I’m keeping up my reading.” Sarcasm aside, I do hope this article helps you get more done today.
When I have a lot to accomplish on a given day, Procrastination can paralyze me as if I were injected with one of those top secret drugs from Q at MI-6. My favorite anti-toxin is the countdown timer on my iPhone.
1. The Timer Improves Focus
If I have a report to write, I will set the timer for 10 minutes and race to complete the report before the buzzer sounds. I have programmed the most heinous sound in the preferences. I don’t want to hear that sound. I want to be finished.
The report is not always ready for publication or email when the timer sounds, but I’ve made much progress. I then feel free to clean it up, proof edit, and send.
If I catch myself burning time again, I will set another timer to finish the work.
2. The Timer Helps Me Play instead of Work
What do you do when you are procrastinating? Check the leaderboard at the Masters? Play video games? Watch the show you missed last night? Hit your favorite coffee shop? Check out the top videos on YouTube? These activities are all entertainment. You are playing instead of working.
If you set a timer and race yourself, you are playing a game while accomplishing work. I imagine that the timer is connected to a weapon that will release a weaponized garlic into the icing stream at Krispy Kreme. If I don’t diffuse the bomb by finishing my work, thousands of donuts will be contaminated.
Pretend to be John McClane, Martin Riggs, or Ziva David. I give you permission.
3. The Timer Helps Me Plan Better Next Time
Procrastinators I meet share a common optimism about how long tasks take. We all think we can accomplish our missions faster than we really do. (To be honest, I bet we’re all correct; we just don’t factor time for play into our estimates.) Setting a timer helps me be more realistic about how much time tasks require.
For example, I research potential clients before calling them:
- Search a proprietary database
- Browse the client’s website
- Scan 24 hours of both Twitter and Facebook
- Read two recent blog entries
- Take notes
I estimated that these tasks require 20 minutes. Every time I picked up the phone to call the potential client, I found myself discouraged by how much time had ticked off the clock. Had I procrastinated? Had I spent too much time online? Was I distracted by other things?
The next day, I set a timer to accomplish my research. I quickly learned that the database searches take much longer than expected. I now allow myself 30 minutes to finish my research. I still set a countdown timer so I don’t linger or click on too many links.
Have you ever used a timer? How did it help you?
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