Hmm, if I had it within me to be able to stick to such a rigid time schedule, then I think I would be disciplined enough to not even need such a time schedule.
Thoughts?
JoeC
· 2 years ago
Saw a post early this morning about, well, writing early in the morning. It recommended not looking at email, rss, or phone messages first because that starts you off on the wrong foot by being immediately distracted from your main task. That's definitely true for me. Email and feeds can dissipate hours of time like nothing, and often to no good end. Not to mention Twitter!
glemak
· 2 years ago
not bad chris - would definitely work for those w/ lots of flexibility and diversity in their tasks...
those of us that spend our days going from one meeting to another sandwiched around con-calls sometimes don't schedule enough "desktime" to actually get "real" work done - your model would work well for those few hour blocks that serve that purpose...
however, when doing heads-down technical stuff, sometimes it takes 20 minutes just to get your head into a position of understanding - to then take a break would cause an interruption in comprehension that would take time to get back to - anybody whose ever worked at the root level of development or architecture will grok this - but not every system is right for every situation...
i'll try your idea during my next scheduled "desktime" - i think i have one or two next month ;)
Nancy A. Shenker
· 2 years ago
I do something similar, but I do it over the course of a week and then a month. Some days just end up being lost causes, but the "averaging" system" ensures that it all gets done, taking into account those days when I get derailed or am feeling slothful. I just did my "plan" for June...I make sure that I'm slotting in enough play time too!
Melissa Maples
· 2 years ago
This is not so different from how I work, except my system is roughly twice the amplitude (i.e. 20 - 40 - 10 - 40 - 10), because I find that after 20 minutes of project work I'm only just getting into my stride, and if I stop there I just have to start over again. Also, I do my e-mails in a big chunk in the evening before bed and try hard not to think about them the rest of the day.
Chris Hambly
· 2 years ago
A good plan for those people working with flexible projects that can be self-segmented.
This wouldn't work for me, particularly if I am in the studio recording some drums, or working with some vocalists or what not, the flow just cannot be broken in those environments, you simply go with it until it "feels" time to stop, that can be 10 mins or could just as easily be 4 hours.
I guess I adopt that studio flow into my other project moments too, I'll sit and bash away for hours on a new concept if it is absorbing me.
This time allocation and work flow may come down to personality traits and types.
Tommy Vallier
· 2 years ago
I'll give it a whirl after the long weekend... and report back... I like Melissa's idea of doubling it too... Perhaps alternating the two in a 20-40-10-40-10-10-20-5-20-5 pattern to keep you guessing and on your toes?
I wonder if anyone who follows the GTD stuff could recommend a light-weight timer app for Windows?
Michael Bailey
· 2 years ago
Well, I am even more confused now. As a computer programmer and web site developer, it is very common for me to spend more than 4 hours straight trying to conjure up some code in order to accomplish one specific task.
Heck, it takes me 10 minutes just to get a cup of coffee.
What is it that you people do that 20 minutes of attention to a task can actually get anything done?
Whitney
· 2 years ago
An ADHD perspective:
We're really good with flitting from thing to thing or hyperfocus on something to the exclusion of everything else. As a result, I've found I can set a timer on my watch to spend a set time like 40 minutes shoveling out the office, and if I know I have permission to quit after that time, a whole lot more gets accomplished. (Playing music also helps stay on track and keeps you company during this boring stuff) Having to account to someone else for your time- even just writing it down yourself, puts how you spend your time in perspective, just like food journals are effective for controlling eating. And you start managing it better as a result.
I like the idea of the breakdown, but I would chunk up a morning into 40 minute blocks with 15 minute breaks for email, nourishment and movement, and then settling back in. 20 minute blocks are hard for me- I like 40 min because it takes a good five minutes to get into making progress on a task, then at least 30 minutes can be devoted to quality work before easing off again. The ADD friendly ways to organize your life book by Dr. Kathleen Nadeau and professional organizer Judith Kolberg, is good for anyone having organization and time management issues in any aspect of your life, whether you're ADD or not. Keeps us sane here.
Marc Orchant
· 2 years ago
Chris:
It's a very interesting model. As some of the previous comments point out, 20 minutes is not an ideal productivity time block for some people and/or tasks. When I'm in a good writing "zone", I can go for 45 minutes to an hour before my body starts telling me to move into Get Up mode to stretch the muscles and relax the brain.
But the larger notion of developing a rhythm for your work is very intriguing and I can see this working nicely on "task days" when I'm doing lots of small chunk, next action work. I think in microcosm, this is also a great idea to overlay on the weekly review as a template for working through reviews of actions lists, calendar, tickler file, etc.
Rob
· 2 years ago
Huh....I love the comments.
My work is such that I do have the project flexibility. 20 minutes on one thing would vary for me, but is usually the time I am afforded due to various interruptions (external).
I can appreciate the suggestion not to check email first, as it is/can be distracting. I sometimes set a timer via a google widget before entering a block of project time. Oddly, it keeps me committed to that time and keeps me from shiny object distractions like, email, rss, twitter and the like.
I think this idea, with a few tweaks could work for me Chris. Thanks.
annie boccio
· 2 years ago
When I'm working on a project I need to allow myself huge blocks of time. It simply takes me too long to power down and MUCH too long to power back up again. But I could use timing like this for the little admin type things I have to do, or even for housework. Maybe a day or two a week of this would work for me. Similar to what others have said, I guess!
Annie
· 2 years ago
I love the idea of time blocks and blitzes like this. To everyone that is thinking about trying this, download Alarm Clock 2.
It's Mac only, but it's got a timer function that's grrrreat! Also, it's a stopwatch. The actual alarm function is cool because you can wake up to anything from iTunes, and it'll play it gradually louder.
(I don't work for the guy that wrote it, I just like setting timers for everything, and this little app suits my neurotic needs.)
Clintus McGintus
· 2 years ago
This is perfect for me. I need a schedule and I need boundaries. This gives me both. Thanks man.
JoeC
· 2 years ago
re: Michael Bailey comment regarding coding. Yes, that's definitely true for me (a coder), too. Takes 20 minutes just to get all the relevant structure of what's going on (data structures, threads, call trees) assembled in your brain. Then you can actually start to work (cut code, debug, refactor).
Barry Sarner
· 2 years ago
Why don't we all give it a shot.....It may be the best thing that ever happened to us. We could all meet here again next week with our stories :-) Change is good..............
Justin
· 2 years ago
This is really great advice. I'm so happy you posted this.
bgavin
· 2 years ago
I guess it isn't which model you use or whether twenty minutes is too little or two hours is too much. The value is figuring out what your own rhythms are as well as the specific demands of your work and building your "cycles" around that.
For instance, I can do creative things, like writing copy or negotiating with suppliers, best early in the morning. By 3 or 4, I am not good for much more than proofreading or spreadsheet manipulation. So my cycles are going to based on that knowledge, plus the nature of the projects I have opn my desk this month.
All Comments
Thoughts?
those of us that spend our days going from one meeting to another sandwiched around con-calls sometimes don't schedule enough "desktime" to actually get "real" work done - your model would work well for those few hour blocks that serve that purpose...
however, when doing heads-down technical stuff, sometimes it takes 20 minutes just to get your head into a position of understanding - to then take a break would cause an interruption in comprehension that would take time to get back to - anybody whose ever worked at the root level of development or architecture will grok this - but not every system is right for every situation...
i'll try your idea during my next scheduled "desktime" - i think i have one or two next month ;)
I just did my "plan" for June...I make sure that I'm slotting in enough play time too!
This wouldn't work for me, particularly if I am in the studio recording some drums, or working with some vocalists or what not, the flow just cannot be broken in those environments, you simply go with it until it "feels" time to stop, that can be 10 mins or could just as easily be 4 hours.
I guess I adopt that studio flow into my other project moments too, I'll sit and bash away for hours on a new concept if it is absorbing me.
This time allocation and work flow may come down to personality traits and types.
I wonder if anyone who follows the GTD stuff could recommend a light-weight timer app for Windows?
As a computer programmer and web site developer, it is very common for me to spend more than 4 hours straight trying to conjure up some code in order to accomplish one specific task.
Heck, it takes me 10 minutes just to get a cup of coffee.
What is it that you people do that 20 minutes of attention to a task can actually get anything done?
We're really good with flitting from thing to thing or hyperfocus on something to the exclusion of everything else. As a result, I've found I can set a timer on my watch to spend a set time like 40 minutes shoveling out the office, and if I know I have permission to quit after that time, a whole lot more gets accomplished. (Playing music also helps stay on track and keeps you company during this boring stuff)
Having to account to someone else for your time- even just writing it down yourself, puts how you spend your time in perspective, just like food journals are effective for controlling eating. And you start managing it better as a result.
I like the idea of the breakdown, but I would chunk up a morning into 40 minute blocks with 15 minute breaks for email, nourishment and movement, and then settling back in. 20 minute blocks are hard for me- I like 40 min because it takes a good five minutes to get into making progress on a task, then at least 30 minutes can be devoted to quality work before easing off again.
The ADD friendly ways to organize your life book by Dr. Kathleen Nadeau and professional organizer Judith Kolberg, is good for anyone having organization and time management issues in any aspect of your life, whether you're ADD or not.
Keeps us sane here.
It's a very interesting model. As some of the previous comments point out, 20 minutes is not an ideal productivity time block for some people and/or tasks. When I'm in a good writing "zone", I can go for 45 minutes to an hour before my body starts telling me to move into Get Up mode to stretch the muscles and relax the brain.
But the larger notion of developing a rhythm for your work is very intriguing and I can see this working nicely on "task days" when I'm doing lots of small chunk, next action work. I think in microcosm, this is also a great idea to overlay on the weekly review as a template for working through reviews of actions lists, calendar, tickler file, etc.
My work is such that I do have the project flexibility. 20 minutes on one thing would vary for me, but is usually the time I am afforded due to various interruptions (external).
I can appreciate the suggestion not to check email first, as it is/can be distracting. I sometimes set a timer via a google widget before entering a block of project time. Oddly, it keeps me committed to that time and keeps me from shiny object distractions like, email, rss, twitter and the like.
I think this idea, with a few tweaks could work for me Chris. Thanks.
It's Mac only, but it's got a timer function that's grrrreat! Also, it's a stopwatch. The actual alarm function is cool because you can wake up to anything from iTunes, and it'll play it gradually louder.
(I don't work for the guy that wrote it, I just like setting timers for everything, and this little app suits my neurotic needs.)
Change is good..............
For instance, I can do creative things, like writing copy or negotiating with suppliers, best early in the morning. By 3 or 4, I am not good for much more than proofreading or spreadsheet manipulation. So my cycles are going to based on that knowledge, plus the nature of the projects I have opn my desk this month.