How to Effectively Use a Timer As You Work

Hourglass on a table

Have you ever wondered if you’re using a timer the right way while you work?

Do you want some practical tips to help you keep track of time throughout the day?

Time management skills are some of the most valuable skills you can ever learn.

Besides managing time itself, you should also take care to learn how to use time management tools in the most productive way possible.

In this post, you’ll find several pointers to help you get the most mileage out of your timepiece.

Try these tips the next time you set a timer for yourself while you roll up your sleeves and get to work!

Give yourself some leeway.

First things first, you’ll want to create a time buffer whenever you set out to use a timer.

Why? A time buffer will help to lessen your chance of accidentally running over time or running late.

And in case you’re wondering, a time buffer is simply an extra bit of time that you’ve set aside for yourself, in case your original plans don’t work out.

Here’s a quick example for you. Let’s say you have to finish some work before leaving for an appointment.

Instead of setting the timer right down the very minute before you leave, you should subtract fifteen minutes off of that number. Depending on your situation, you may want to add more or less to that original number.

By setting yourself a time buffer, you give yourself some wiggle room to take care of last-minute items such as packing up your belongings and preparing yourself to leave for an appointment.

Avoid watching the clock.

Once you’ve set your timer, it’s important to not sit around and fret about what time it is.

That’s the timer’s job! Just set the timer, and forget about it. Seriously!

You’ve got a golden opportunity sitting right in front of you.

With time being kept for you, you can focus all your attention on your work.

But what if you’re tempted to sneak a peek at the time?

You could turn the timer face away from you, lay the face flat on a table or counter, or tuck the timer away in a shallow drawer for the time being.

Stop working once the timer goes off.

Ding! Your timer has just gone off. Do you either: a) stop your work, or b) continue your work?

Yes, you could try to squeeze in just a few more things. However, that kind of defeats the purpose of timing yourself.

A much better approach is to stop what you’re doing when the timer goes off, no matter what.

You can take a quick break, get a glass of water, stretch, or glance out the window.

You can reassess your work once break time is over.

Do you need to spend more time working on a task? Do you want to schedule the task for a later date and time?

No matter what method you choose, make sure you take at least a few minutes to review and plan your next work session.

How about you? Do you find it helpful to time yourself as you work? Why or why not? Join the conversation and leave a comment below!

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About the Author

Rashelle

Rashelle Isip is a New York City-based productivity consultant who helps successful entrepreneurs and business owners manage their time and energy so they can reduce stress, work less, and make more money in their businesses. She has been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, NBC News, The Washington Post, NPR, and The Atlantic. Get her free guide, 5 Unexpected Things You Need to Organize a Work Notebook, by clicking here.

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