Tick-tock…Tick-tock…The timer sits beside me on my desk methodically clicking. It reminds me of how quickly the seconds of our lives slip away every day. How are you spending yours and how can you squeak out as much writing time as possible from each hour?
Using this mechanism has been very helpful at keeping me on track. I find myself working like I’m on the timer even when it isn’t turned on. It’s great mental training. There’s something about being on a strict time limit that keeps you very focused. You do not have time to accept any distractions.
5 Ways A Timer Can Increase Your Productivity And Give You More Writing Time
Facebook – Friend requests, invitations, news feeds, great articles to read, clients and friends to keep in touch with, distributing valuable information, posting photos…It can be overwhelming and it’s easy to jump from one article or newsletter onto another and before you know it an hour has disappeared. Decide how long you have to invest on Facebook whether it’s 30, 60 minutes, or two half hour sessions a day. When the timer dings, times up. Move on.
Twitter – Set your timer for an hour to plan ahead what tweets you’re going to distribute during the week. A combination of positive quotes, writing successes you’re experiencing, helpful articles for authors, excerpts from your book. You should have a marketing plan for the current project you’re promoting so prioritize and pull out pieces to send out each day. Then your daily tweet time can probably be accomplished in 30 minute increments. It may seem challenging at first and tempting to squeeze out a few minutes longer but be disciplined about your time. Living by the ‘ding’ will force you to become more efficient.
Sales Calls – One of the most difficult tasks can be sales calls. If your daily duties include contacting prospects by phone, a timer can definitely help your productivity. A few no’s can send you into the depths of discouragement. You detour by shuffling through papers, reviewing the names on your list, checking your email, straightening your desk. But when the clock is ticking and you have an organized list of actions to get done that day you won’t have time to get bogged down in rejection. You need appointments set, otherwise those seconds have been wasted.
Email – We’re choked with an onslaught of new information daily. Do you keep your email open constantly? Please stop that. Decide how long you want to spend in your inbox. Set the timer and log in. Check new messages, respond. Try using video or audio instead of typing. In many cases it’s quicker. If you’re like me and despite consistent effort the inbox backs up, set aside separate time to sort, file, and delete.
Writing – Whether it’s blogging, article creation, or books, time is money. Putting yourself under a bit of pressure can improve your writing and help you turn out more material. The scribe life is a solitude existence. It’s easy for your mind to wander to other items on your to-do list, plans you have after work, new ideas that pop into your head. Think of it as a game where you try to reach the end before the timer dings! Understand, I’m not suggesting that you rush through your work and publish less than stellar results. Just get the first draft down without wandering. Then review it, make changes and the necessary corrections.
The interesting lesson from this exercise is that after a while you may not need the timer anymore. Subconsciously you’ll hear the tick-tock…tick-tock of your life’s precious seconds and you’ll get down to business and continue moving forward at a productive pace on your own.
What productivity tools do you have in your time
management toolbox to help you write more effectively?
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