The timer is one of the tools that I recommend throughout the Accomplishing More With Less Methodology. Not any timer – a countdown timer. Setting the countdown timer for 40 minutes (or whatever time period you choose) and then pushing the Start button has significant implications.

Just the fact that the timer is running seems to drastically heighten our awareness of time and allow us to quickly notice when we deviate from our task. It’s as simple as that. It is fascinating that such a simple and easy tool can have such an impact on our focus, but it does. Buying a countdown timer may very well result in the biggest return on investment that we can ever achieve.

The Timer Creates Purpose

The timer helps us put a stake in the ground and declare that we have officially started the task at hand. Without such a clear signal it is easy to stay noncommittal, starting one task but then casually withdrawing from it to start another one. It is possible to keep testing task after task, escaping from the ones that are more difficult or less desirable, and sneaking into tasks that are easier (and, just as likely, less crucial) – I call this “task hopping!”

The timer puts an end to unproductive task hopping. It forces us to spend our time more purposefully on the task that we consciously select. This is a giant leap to become more purposeful. If you are thinking the timer is “just” another tool, and an expendable one at that, think again! The timer is revolutionary.

The Timer Creates Accountability

In addition to creating purpose, the timer also creates accountability. Now that the timer has started, in 40 minutes we are going to know clearly if we accomplished what we intended. The timer also helps us estimate time better in the future. Knowing how long it takes to accomplish any given project in such a time-crunched era is a rare and highly desirable skill.

The timer prompts us to move things forward

During the focused session, the timer improves the quality and efficiency of our work. It prompts us to face the issues, make decisions, and move things along as opposed to dwelling on issues and staying indefinitely in analysis/paralysis mode. In other words, the timer accelerates our pace and helps us equal or even beat the speed at which things are happening around us. What a competitive advantage that can be!

The timer as a stress relief mechanism

The timer signifies that we have given ourselves permission to be where we are for the time period we have chosen. Now we can more easily give up the guilt or anxiety that we would otherwise experience for not being somewhere else and not handling all the other things that need to be handled. With the timer, we are able to put everything else on hold because we have more “officially” chosen a path, and most importantly a path based on purpose instead of a reactive one. The timer is the official seal of approval for our purposeful choice.

With the timer and the 40 minute sessions, instead of feeling guilty and anxious, we feel challenged to complete our carefully selected mission. Instead of taking on “life” and feeling overwhelmed and trapped, now we are taking on 40 minutes, and feeling hopeful. We are fully engaged and facing the issues for 40 minutes with a visible and bright light shining at the end of tunnel. What a relief!

The happy sound of accomplishment

The happy sound of accomplishment is only 40 minutes away, and when it is heard, we are likely to experience a range of thoughts and feelings, the most prevalent of which is likely to be satisfaction.
Stopping is critical at this juncture. Even a brief moment of acknowledgement goes a long way. This can take any form that is appropriate for the context. Sometimes a few minutes of letting our mind freely wander and allowing thoughts and feelings to surface can do the job. Sometimes this may require a more significant break and potentially some physical movement that gets us re-energized.

Find out more about the timer and many breakthrough productivity insights and techniques at The Accomplishing More With Less Workbook at Amazon.com

How do most of us start our day? When we ask our workshop participants this question, the answer we invariably get is: “on e-mail”. Here are some of the reasons why we start the day on e-mail (and why we keep going back to e-mail every time we hear the beep or when we are at a loss of what to do next) and I would like to hear from you what are the top 3 reasons for you (choose from the list or add your own--post your comment below):

1. Curiosity: We are curious about what happened in the world since we checked e-mail last.

2. Hope for good news: This is the winning-the-lottery syndrome. It may happen to me! I may get this great promotion or great deal or great surprise from someone.

3. Feeling accomplished: Replying to e-mails gives us the feeling that we are getting things done. Each e-mail message answered is like a micro-project successfully completed and checked off the list.

4. Fear of being left behind: We want to make sure we are not missing important information or developments, and potentially losing our competitive edge.

5. Anxiety about outstanding tasks: We cannot relax if we have outstanding e-mail messages.

6. Avoidance: Instead of focusing on more important and usually more difficult tasks, it is easier to be on e-mail.

7. Lack of direction/Need for direction: We don’t know exactly what we should be doing, e-mail give us the answer, at least a temporary fix.

8. Handling urgent stuff: We have to check e-mail because we get urgent requests on e-mail, which need to be handled immediately.

9. Meeting the expectations of others: It is usually expected that e-mails are answered fairly quickly, either by our boss, colleagues, or generally as part of the culture in our organization. If we don’t meet these expectations, we may be seen as “not fully on top of things”.

And there are probably more reasons. All together, these factors make e-mail seductive, addictive, rewarding, and anxiety-provoking, all at the same time!

Now your turn!

Article extracted from The Accomplishing More With Less Workbook Chapter 6 "Every Day is A Fresh Day—reconcile at the beginning of each day."

If you have move from Microsoft Word 2003 to Word 2007 recently, you may be at a loss. Even participants who have been using Word 2007 for some time still get stuck at times trying to find one of these commends that they don’t use often (such as “Send for Review” to easily e-mail a document to someone else to review it).

The answer is actually pretty simple. It is nicely packaged in an interactive guide that is part of the Microsoft Office Online help. Here are the steps on how to get there:

1. Click on the help button in Word 2007 (little question mark on the top right area)
2. Search for “Word 2003 to Word 2007”
3. One of the results that appear will be “Interactive: Word 2003 to Word 2007 command reference guide”
4. Click on this reference guide to get it started
5. Once is starts, you will see the Word 2003 familiar user interface
6. Then you will be able to click on a menu item, and get the immediate answer as to where this command is in Word 2007

This is what the guide will look like, ready for you to indicate which comand you want help with:

Your Turn: Find where the “Send for Review” is and put your answer below!

For more tips and techniques on Word 2007, join our complimentary Using Formatting & Styles in Microsoft Word 2007 lunch & learn webinar this week (Thu. Dec. 3 at noon Pacific Time)!