Nishant Jacobnishantj@stanford.edu

Start doing an assignment and lose focus in the first

few minutes

Your mind starts wandering, you lose interest

Take a break, when you get back, can’t really focus

So you take another break

This sound familiar ?

Lack of clear tasks to work on at any given moment

Time starts to bleed, tasks take longer than they should

Focusing for too long, kills productivity

A vicious procrastination cycle starts

Here’s what’s going on

Make the task you’re working on very clear

Keep the task timed and super short (2-3 min)

Try and beat the time

Have fixed, small, time goals for planning and reflecting between tasks and creating your next task

How to break the cycle

Causes you to focus effort fully in short bursts

Makes it interesting - trying to beat the clock

Increase efficiency - move on to the next task

Get it down on paper instead of in your head

Why does this work ?

Grab a countdown timer

A blank paged notebook (any notebook will do)

A pen

A few behavior anchors (headphones, pencil to chew on, gum, water to sip, reading glasses etc.)

Getting Started

Step 1

Set the timer for 3 min

Use the 3 min to break up your work in basic tasks

Keep an eye on the clock and beat the time

Stop when the time is up!

Example:Project: Making these slidesBasic tasks

Pick TopicBrainstormMake Slides

Set the timer for 3 min again

Use the 3 min to fill in subtasks for each task

Be extremely specific, each sub task should require 3 min of work - if needed, apply this step to the subtasks

Step 2

Example:Pick Topic- Brainstorm topics- Shortlist topics- Pick one

Brainstorm- Mindmap around topic- List top ideas- Pick one idea

Make Slides- Mindmap slide topics- Order slide topics- Make a list of slides- Make slide 1…..

Set the timer for 2 min to plan out the first subtask

In the 2 min scribble down what you need to do for the subtask and what outcome you want by the end

Keep the outcome concrete and it should be manageable with 3 min of work – make it really small

Step 3

Example:Brainstorm Topics

- want 3 topic ideas- in the area of procrastination- with a focus on time management

Set timer for 3 min

Do the subtask you planned out

Try and get to the key deliverable – it doesn’t have to be perfect!

Keep an eye on the clock – try and beat the time

Step 4

Example:Topics:- timer system- take breaks every 5 min- work for long chunks of time

Set the timer for 1 min

Reflect on the task you just did

Do you need another 3 min? or is it good enough

Scribble down anything you learnt from the task and thoughts on the next task

Step 5

Example:Reflection:- The idea about a timing system seems promising

Repeat step 3 onwards for the next subtask

Rinse and repeat

Be consistent! Time planning, doing and reflecting

Take a 3 min break after doing 3 subtasks

If you feel like a subtask didn’t get done, and if you really need another 3 min. do it!

Always keep an eye on the clock, the clock is king!

Always listen to the same type of music and chew the same gum/pencil when using the timing system

Points to remember

The timing system may feel weird at first

But it will quickly feel natural and your efficiency will skyrocket!

Hang in there