The concept of Time Management is hogwash – see wikipedia that time management lacks any coherent meaning. Such is the silliness in the idea of time management. We all have exactly 1440 minutes – 86400 seconds in a day. As much as we might try, as much of a control freak as we might be we are completely unable to change the amount of time we have available to us! So taking a page from my earlier post of responsibility and creation – what we can do is manage ourselves in time. Again this is not semantics – this is about using the right language in your day – in your life – managing oneself in time is about taking responsibility versus giving it over to the fallacy we all know is in the idea of time management.
So today I want to share two simple resources I use to manage myself in time. The concept I have been using in 2010 to accomplish so much of what I set out to do is using Francesco Cirillo’s Pomodoro Technique.
Late last year I began the commitment of seriously and consistently “managing myself in time” by using a similar concept of working in 50 minute blocks followed by 10 minute breaks. I found it helped me tremendously but in the pursuit of continuous improvement began using the Pomodoro Technique of 25 minute blocks followed by 5 minute breaks – which Francesco calls a Pomodoro. Franscesco has a great ebook available for download on his website (wow you don’t even have to join his list to get it); a one page summary Cheat Sheet and a couple of paper-based systems you can use in the technique. I highly recommend you visit his site, review his materials and then read his ebook to get the details on how to make this technique work for you and assist you in being a successful entrepreneur – not becoming a successful entrepreneur but BEING a successful entrepreneur. See if you can find Francesco’s discussion in his ebook about the human dependency on becoming! Another critical language use for successful entrepreneurs.
Francesco recommends a kitchen style timer and identifies in his book why – that the actually winding of the timer is a physical cue that gets the mind focused. I am a big proponent of physical cues such as this – if you have experienced problems managing yourself in time in your past – I do recommend you go this route of using a kitchen timer. Francesco does also identify the ticking sound of a timer as critical to keeping you on track. A number of other techniques Cirillo identifies such as marking internal and external interruptions I found very helpful. When I started on this method of timing your work day – I used an hourglass type timer which I enjoyed the look of – but many times I found myself running over on time when I got focused and was working on a project! I now am using a free software tool I downloaded from from Focus Booster as my timer and love this Adobe Air desktop application. 
I still am resisting the temptation to get into any complicated to do list software and find that my use of Notepad – the free application in windows has been the best tool for me. I keep an up-to-date one for my inventory list of all the things I need to get done and make a daily To Do list from that running inventory list each evening as one of my last Pomodoros.
As an example of how I use this technique in my day: I do my blog posts in 25 + 5 minute Pomodoros. I do them in 2 Pomodoros usually focused on the key parts of my posting:
- The first is research, information gathering and outlining
- Five minute coffee break
- Writing & Posting
- Five Minute Break
Would love some feedback on if you are using this and how it works for you!
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I have been using this technique for ever but especially now that I am a Mommy Entrepreneur. In my busy day I set my timer for every 30 minutes with five minutes to catch up with Social Networking (my rest). Now I have time for blogging, book keeping, marketing, Lacrosse, homework, laundry and cooking. It all seems to get done. But everything is timed. At the end of the day I feel very accomplished.
This is great – just what I needed was looking for a simple way to get more done in a shorter time – so busy these days. I appreciate the referral to pomodoro. I’ll let you know how it goes using this
Glen… Great resources – thanks for sharing them – Pomodoro looks outstanding. Curious – what do you use on your Iphone/blackberry for to dos?
Looking forward to using the Pomodoro and Focus Booster – thanks. I do find lots of distractions working from home as an entrepreneur. Already the idea of tracking and categorizing them makes sense to me. how long have you been using the methods here glenn
Gloria – Thanks for you comments and subscribing. Glad to see the practice of timing works so well for you! As an entrepreneur – I too see it as a necessity! – I love the business you are in – design – creating beauty for your clients! My daughter is obsessed with beautiful flowers, having a garden and collecting every beautiful flower she sees!
Amy, Nina & Gary
Thanks for your comments – Please come back and let us know how the practices are working for you. Happy to help you with followup ideas too
Great Info – Totally agree this stuff does work. I have been timing my work segments for years and both my productivity and focus get better! My results also have gotten better!
Hey Len – thanks for providing a supporting – it works opinion! And for connecting the dots that this impacts the results you get! True sign of a successful entrepreneur – bringing what you do back to results! If anyone else can share results they got using this we all would appreciate hearing what you have to share! – Glenn
I am always amazed at how people can add value sharing with others something that works for them. Such a change from a mindset of scarcity that exists in so many places! I have used the timing of tasks frequently when working to meet a deadline and yet have failed to implement it foir normal day-to-day stuff. I always meet my deadlines when I use this practice and like you have used an hourglass and broken my sessions into 60 minute segments. I do think your/Pomodor’s point about the start being a cue to your brain is a really strong signal and like glenn would encourage newbies at this to use a timer. That being said I look forward to using the focus booster application – thanks for sharing
Gerry Thank you for your visit and comment, hehe if it works use it more often… best wishes for your success in more projects that have self imposed productivity deadlines! Stop back and let us know how it works for you! I agree on the idea of using cues to embed feeling in what you do for routine…
Gerry I agree with you – doing something as you start a routine helps get your mindset right for what is to come…. I downloaded the app and love the ticking sound…helped me keep my focus! Glenn thanks for sharing these
glenn – love your last couple of articles here! thanks for sharing the Pomodor site – great stuff there
Larry thanks for your numerous visits and kind comments – let me know what you think after your review Francesco’s materials!
Been a big fan of timing my projects – but have not seen the practice of 25 minutes work – then 5 minutes break. I get the idea and will start using it today – thanks for the link to focus booster too! i appreciate you sharing these great resources man – your blog is looking amazing
Had to come back today and tell you how awesome the resources are. I read your post yesterday and went to check out the sites. Downloaded them and then I used them yesterday to help me COMPLETE a project that was sitting on my desk. I told myself 3 Pomodoros and I am done – I did it! Got this done that was nagging me for 3 weeks! Thanks for sharing them glenn
Cris
Thanks so much for sharing your results with us sounds awesome! Glad to have been able to share and help