inexpensive timer

Just over a hundred years ago an obscure economist noticed that a mere 20% of the population controlled 80% of the wealth.

This is the basis for the principle we’ve come to know as the 80/20 rule.

Simply stated: 80% of the results come from 20% of the effort…

I think the rule is fascinating and worth a closer look. Can the rule be applied to our own sense of time management and productivity?

Certainly. Although I log in ten hours a day, most of us would agree that the 8-hour workday is the standard.

How many of us would say that we are completely productive during those 8 hours? I see a few hands went down.

If my math and our economist ‘s calculation are correct we have about 96 minutes of our day that produces the day’s result. Only a measly hour and half of productivity (I know I ran across that figure in some study done somewhere but I can’t seem to find it right now… I’ll keep looking).

Sounds pretty dismal doesn’t it? Maybe it’s not too hard believe given the fact that we’re bombarded with phone calls, tweets, emails, and meetings. Add those distractions and interruptions together then consider this: It takes roughly 15 or so minutes to get momentum back after being interrupted.

Start, stop, start, and stop…  no wonder we’re buried under minutiae…

So, how do we counter this? My favorite technique to use is a countdown timer and a little self-discipline…

I borrowed the tip from a copywriter named Eugene Schwartz. Mr. Schwartz’s productivity as a copywriter was legendary. He never sat down to work without setting his kitchen timer to 33 minutes. He wouldn’t move or do anything other than work on the project before him for that 33 minute interval. Even if it meant staring at a blank sheet of paper for the whole time.

Let’s give that a shot.

If we work the 33 minutes less the 15 minutes it takes to gain momentum, we have about 18 minutes of good productivity.

If we take the total workday less coffee breaks and lunch and divide by our 33 minute work interval we get about 11 work sessions… give or take.

Let’s see… that’s 18 min x 11 sessions = 198 minutes of solid work! Pretty decent increase in productivity I’d say. We’ve more than doubled our output simply by changing how we handle the clock.

Just a minor tweak to our work habits can have a huge effect. Buy an inexpensive timer and give it a go! If it works for you, tell me about it here.