Working throughout the day I glance at the large wall clock sometimes wondering if the battery needs replacing. Other times, it appears as if the minute hand sweeps so briskly I dare not sneak a glance for fear of losing that precious microsecond of productivity.

Regardless of how I feel… whether I’m a procrastinator or producer, one thing becomes necessary to keep your productivity high…

The need to recharge. Clear your head. Break the tedium of cranking the widgets.

Is it always good to take breaks? For the most part, yes.

Exceptions? Of course… When I’m on a roll and things are flowing smoothly I hate to stop. Momentum is a great thing to take advantage of when it happens. If you’re feeling strong and inspired, keep going and don’t quit until you’re satisfied you’ve reached your goal.

Conversely, an efficient time management program needs to have breaks built into the schedule for you to operate at maximum productivity. Typical industry standards allows for one 15 minute break mid-morning, one for mid-afternoon and the half-hour lunch.

As a solopreneur, I don’t work on that kind of schedule. I have a more spontaneous approach to breaks and take them as I need them. The one caveat is not to let them go too long (email and surfing have stolen untold amounts of time from the drifting solopreneur).

I have heard of various tactics other productivity pros use in regard to breaks. The tactics really just involve working for set periods of time then taking a short break. Some advocate for a 15 minute work unit, others prefer a 30 minute interval, and still others like a 55 minute work period.

In any case, they all take a short break after every work period, to get their wind back. The break length typically is 5 minutes or so and not the usual 15 minutes.

Chronic procrastinators can use this technique as reward-for-work enticement to push themselves onto greater productivity. Often, just starting a task is enough to get the procrastinator going and inertia kicks in a helping hand (or foot, as the case may be).

Overall, most of your days become more productive if short breaks are built in to your routine. The most admired perks of the work-at-home solopreneur is the ability to call your own shots, live life on your terms, and work when you want to work. Using the best time management techniques available makes the time you put in… profitable.