Stay on Task with the Time Timer
Thank you for sharing with the community how you're getting 1% Better. Get in touch at 917.971.3737.
Hey. Chad here, coming to you over the digital Airwaves on the 1% Better podcast. One of the things that's been immensely helpful to me when it comes to staying focused and getting a lot of things done in a short amount of time is a tool called the Time Timer. This [00:00:30] isn't something that I discovered on my own. A friend of mine, Carson, if you're listening, shout out to you!
[00:00:38] The time timer is a physical timer. I know this sounds super simple, but trust me. It's really cool. It's a physical timer. It's a plastic timer with a white background and minutes numbered from zero all the way to. To 55 or 60 but going [00:01:00] backwards. So when you turn the timer a red wedge tells you how much time has been set on the timer. So if you set the timer to you know where six o'clock is to the 30, then that tells you you have 30 minutes and there's a red semicircle that slowly gets smaller and smaller over time.
[00:01:26] And the genius part of this timer is that [00:01:30] with just a really quick a glance and maybe not even having to look at it, you can just see it in your peripheral vision. You can see time slowly ticking away and it's just that little bit of oomph that I need to keep me on task.
[00:01:48] And so I use this in combination with the Pomodoro Technique, which is a technique where you set a timer for 25 minutes and you work on a singular [00:02:00] task and it's kind of you don't pick up your pen so to speak or stop typing until the 25 minutes is up. And then you take a short 5 maybe 10 minute break and you sit right back down and do another one.
[00:02:16]this timer in combination with this Pomodoro Technique means that the first thing I do when I sit down at my desk is I set the timer for 25 minutes and I jump in right to the first task of the day. You know, I open up the computer [00:02:30] set the timer and I'm off to the races so that could be something like recording this podcast clearing my inbox sending those emails that I need to at the beginning of the day. And I'm able to do three four five of these in a row first thing and the timers invaluable
[00:02:50] And so for me, I have this pavlovian response to this.
[00:02:58] That's the sound that the [00:03:00] timer makes when it goes off in that just tells me hey good job, you sat down done the 25 minutes of work and can move on.
[00:03:12] If you just search Amazon or Google for time timer, you'll find about a dozen different versions. My personal favorite is the MOD m-o-d time timer. It's just I think a cute design comes in a couple different colors and [00:03:30] it's a little bit more maybe versatile and durable then some of the plastic ones they also have like an 18 inch time timer. If you're maybe facilitating a meeting or an r in a large group, they also have a digital app that you can use as a timer as well.
[00:03:53]I'm sure that you all have so many other physical tools [00:04:00] and. You know things that help you get better every single day and I would love to hear what that is for you.
[00:04:08]I've been so encouraged by the community that's come here and responded everywhere I have posted you texted left messages. I want to continue to build this community of all of us getting one percent better together.