The Timer Trick

It's easy to feel overwhelmed with work, easy to feel unmotivated. Many of us find it hard to begin working when faced with a blank computer screen, stack of articles to read, or paper to revise. Some of us begin working, only to find ourselves surfing the web, cleaning the house, or simply staring into space. Over the years I've discovered that setting aside a big block of time to work, say 3 hours, is effective for making progress on tasks, however, the prospect of being productive for a large chunk of time can be daunting. Enter the timer trick.

Three hours may feel interminable, but how's 20 minutes? Set a timer for 20 minutes and work on your tasks for the entire period. When the timer rings, stop. Next, set the timer for 5 minutes and do something else. When it rings, again set it for 20 minutes. It sounds silly, but breaking your work into shorter chunks will help you work more efficiently and stay on task. After all, it's only 20 minutes. When I'm having a particularly hard time working, I set my timer for 15 minutes. "You can do anything for 15 minutes," I tell myself. And I do. When you're finding it difficult to work, give the timer tip a try. Set your timer for whatever block of time seems manageable to you - and you'll find that you make more progress than you anticipate.