My Favorite App for Productivity
Organization is not my strong suit. I have a tendency to… SQUIRREL!… not pay attention. I have about a million half-started projects.
My brain goes a million miles a minute in about 100 different directions all at the same time. Picture a computer with 600 tabs open. Yup, that’s my brain.
My phone is a trooper. I have apps for saving money, my banking apps, apps for my kids, and it’s still kickin’! It took a while, but I finally found my favorite app for productivity. It keeps me on track and helps me to finish each task that I set out for myself. And you probably have it on your phone… or in your kitchen.
It’s a timer. Yes, I’m serious.
I can’t count how many times I’ve said to myself “I’ll just straighten up the house for 10 minutes,” and an hour later, I’m organizing my closet without having straightened up at all. Having the timer set helps me to focus on the tasks at hand and to stay on track.
Do you get sucked into the Pinterest black hole? I could spend hours browsing Pinterest. How do I know that I could spend hours on Pinterest? Because I used to. I’d lose track of time, and suddenly my husband is home, the house is a wreck, but I’ve got some great ideas for mason jar meals!
Pinterest is part of my job now, so I have to spend time on it. But now, all I do is set the timer for 15 or 30 minutes and when time’s up, Pinterest gets shut down and that’s the end of it!
Here’s how I use the timer app on my phone to help me:
Do whatever cleaning that can be done in 15 minutes. It’s a race against the clock. It makes you subconsciously prioritize the most important items to be cleaned in a room. If it isn’t cleaned in 15 minutes, it wasn’t a priority.
Focus on one task for blogging. If I only have 15 minutes at a time, I need to stay focused on one topic before moving on.
Keep track of screen time for my kids. They only get a short amount of time for their learning apps, but this helps me from losing track of time when they’re being oh-so-quiet.
Never forget the laundry. If I set a timer for the length of the washer, I’ll never forget to put the clothes in the dryer.
Organize my files for 15 minutes a day. I get a little OCD particular about organizing sometimes. By setting a timer, it snaps me out of my OCD blinders.
Never lose track of time before meals. Ever lose track of time and suddenly it’s 4:38pm and you have to feed the hungry masses in 22 minutes? PB&J for the win! I use my timer to help make sure that I never accidentally cut into my dinner-making time.
How I use my favorite app for productivity
The best way that I’ve found to make sure that I’m using my favorite app for productivity to the best I can is to get a planner with each day broken up into 15-minute segments. There’s a lot more “free time” in each day when you look at your day in 15-minute chunks!
Why 15 minutes? It’s enough time to focus on a project and to be very productive, but it’s not enough time to let your brain wander away or stop focusing on a task.
You can get more done in 15 minutes of intentional time than you can with an hour of loosey-goosey time. The timer keeps you focused on the task a hand. If you feel a period of time dragging on, you can easily see how much time you have left before it’s over. Yes, that means you still have to do it.
The best part about my favorite app for productivity is that it’s free. And you don’t even need to install it, it comes with your phone! No smartphone? You can use the timer on your oven, microwave, or just a kitchen timer.
Still think I’m crazy?
Well, I won’t argue with you there! I do think that the timer is the best app for productivity out there.
Give it a try for yourself! Block out 15-minute tasks every day and see how much you can get done in 15 minutes. I’m positive that you can get a lot more done than you think!
What do you do to stay on task? Do you have a favorite app for productivity?
Marie @ SimpleHappyEasy says
Yay for timers!! I have them all over my house LOL!
Have you ever used Toggl on your computer? I absolutely LOVE it! I have to keep track of the time that I spend on different client projects plus, my own tasks. Toggl is super cool because it breaks everything down into projects and tasks. It’s not an app though. It’s a website (just .com after the name) so, it’s not really portable. But, I run it in the background on my computer all day to keep track of all of the different things that I’m doing.
I use the microwave timer for the kids so they can hear the alarm go off and they know it’s time to switch subjects (I homeschool the two oldest) or, it’s time to leave the house for whatever activity I have prepared them for.
I use an egg timer in the bathroom to keep the kids from staying in the shower too long. My daughter is 10 now so, I let her have a tablet in the bathroom with a “shower playlist” that plays a few of her favorite songs. When the playlist is over … get outta the shower! 😉
This post is so great! I’m not alone in my obsession with timers! Thank you!
Marie @ SimpleHappyEasy recently posted…3 Simple Steps To Resolving Conflict With Other Moms In Minutes