The Timer is Our Friend

I am a morning person. I wake up ready to move, with a racing mind and many good intentions. Generally, there is more on my mind than I could possibly accomplish and I have a tendency to try and accomplish way too many things at one time, moving from one project to another, not accomplishing any of them.

On my best days, I hit the floor running and I multitask beautifully. On a good day, I discipline myself to finish one thing before starting another. On a jumbled day, I start many projects at one time, both physically and mentally jumping from one task to another, and end up a bit frustrated and behind.

I always have a mental (and often a written) list of what needs to be accomplished within the hour or even the next few minutes. But as I begin work in one area, I am too often thinking about and moving on to other areas.

That is where the timer comes in.

If you find yourself “wandering” from one task or project to another and having difficulty completing any of them, try utilizing the timer. It is amazing what you can accomplish in a specific room or on a specific task when you are truly uninterrupted.

If I set the timer for just 10 minutes and determine to focus on one area (for example, the kitchen and only the kitchen) for those 10 minutes, I can truly whip that room into shape. Then I’ll turn the timer off and move on to more, shall we say, exciting or challenging tasks at hand.

You can also use the timer to help you complete larger jobs. Rather than being overwhelmed with the enormity of a job, try setting a timer for 30 minutes or an hour. Truly focus on the task at hand, and determine to stop when the timer goes off. Then repeat this process as many times as necessary to complete the task. I think you will be amazed at what you have accomplished in a short, uninterrupted period of time and you will find it will go much faster than you imagined.

Moms, you can also use the timer to help your small children complete a task. They too, may be overwhelmed by very simple jobs. A timer with a challenge to complete a task in 3-5 minutes can help change their focus, even making it seem fun, like a game.

Yes, I truly did have to discipline myself NOT to leave my partially clean kitchen, to wander into my office and begin this article.

Happy tasks!!