self improvement

By Gary Singer

         The word time management is a broad term used to apply from a wide variety of subjects ranging from list management and even encompassing personal energy management. Though these are all important, in this article I want to talk about actual time management. Time management is the science of managing the specific moments of the day.

        I want to talk about a simple tool which can work wonders in the actual management of our time. This tool is the simple countdown timer. Here are seven reasons why the use of the timer will make a significant difference in the amount we get done on any given day as well as the amount of stress that we accumulate along the way.

       Here are 7 reasons why using a countdown timer can be one of the most effective methods of proper time management:

• 1) To handle anything, one must become aware of it. In any area of our lives that we are not handling the way we really want we'll find that there are elements in these areas about which we are unaware and are, as a result, not confronting. Just as we gain weight by idly eating food, often beyond our own awareness, we can utilize the time of our day the same way. The effectiveness of diets is greatly affected by our being actually aware of each morsel of food that we eat. This awareness allows us to bring control into our eating habits. Same can be said with time. Our control of time, our awareness of time, brings about our ability to control it. A countdown timer is a key tool to achieving this degree of awareness. 

• 2) Goals are tackled gradiently. We accomplish the important things in life in stages. Timers allow us to take specific tasks and to confront them in manageable stages. This can allow us to break task up into confrontable parts and, once they are summed together, we find that we have accomplished great things. Timers can be a viable tool helping us to achieve that.

• 3) The proper use of a timer includes the firm decision to not stray from the specific task assigned to the specific time period. Just as in a diet we commit to certain limits to our caloric intake or to the types of food that we eat, our use of a timer, and our commitment to its use, is a tool which helps us keep faith with our own decisions as to how we intend to use the hours in our day.

• 4) Timers help teach us to look at tasks in terms of units of time. Rather than just say "I'm going shopping" one looks at the action as a 90 minute commitment and this helps to predict just how it fits into the hours we have during the day. This imposes a sort of order on our time and our lives. This can certainly reduce stress.

• 5) The proper use of a timer can help us find areas where we are wasting time. Interruptions are part of life. The surprising part of that is how much time interruptions and unplanned activities can take out of our day. The use of a timer could be likened to the use of a diary to look at how we actually have been eating which led to an increased weight. Just as in diets, once the track record is known we can better allocate our time. A countdown timer is a great way to achieve this.

• 6) The way a countdown timer is used, by starting its countdown, allowing it to countdown, and in stopping its countdown runs closely with the nature of the cycle of action. All tasks, actually, are cycles of action with a distinct start, a distinct change, and a distinct stop. The realization of this can add quite a bit of sanity into life itself. A countdown timer helps emphasize this point in this basic truth of life and living.

• 7) A timer makes taking breaks a heck of a lot more fun and guilt free. When we set aside specific amount of time for breaks, we tend to do so without guilt and we tend to get the most out of these pleasure moments. Timers are great tools to use for loafing, for naps and other non-work activities that are important.

        Setting a countdown timer and keeping an eye on it is certainly not a new concept. Chefs have been doing it for years. Many people have also used the technique for day-to-day living. You may have heard of "The Pomodoro Technique". This is a time management system this been around for many decades. The timer is a fundamental part of this technique. If you are curious, look it up on the Internet. Timers are easy to find. We can find them in our smart phones, or go down to a Walmart or Radio Shack and buy an inexpensive desktop model which can be an amazingly valuable investment. There are timer apps that are part of browsers or which sit on the desktop of the computer. The key is to find one and use it.

       Timers, alone, can make a big difference in our lives. However some daily planning techniques added to the use of a timer will increase our effectiveness many, many times over. It is best to combine daily planning and the use of a countdown timer.