My work has always involved a lot of writing, whether it’s historical research, a grant application, a project proposal, a newsletter article, or a report to the board. But writing is hard work, especially if it has to be a good product, which means several revisions. I’m rereading On Writing Well (the 30th Anniversary Edition–yikes! have that many years passed) and William Zinnser reminds us that, “the professional writer [that’s nearly anyone in our business] must establish a daily schedule and stick to it.” Over the years, I’ve kept track of the habits of prolific writers and they seem to write in the mornings, which is the schedule I’ve adopted. Nevertheless, I’m still challenged by “sticking to it.”
The kitchen timer that’s on my office desk.
To my rescue came the “Pomodoro Technique“ developed by Francesco Cirillo, a time-management method that relies on an ordinary kitchen timer (which are sometimes designed to look like a tomato or pomodoro in Italian). Set the timer for 25 minutes and while the clock is ticking, stay focused on your work. When the time is up, take a five-minute break and then return for another 25-minute session. It’s designed so that the sessions are short enough to encourage you to stay at the task at hand (“I can write for 25 minutes!”) while including routine breaks to be sure you don’t burn out (and really get discouraged). It’s been the primary way that I stay productive and thought it might be useful for others who are also trying to stay disciplined.
Focus Time app for OS and iOS.
And while the kitchen timer is still on my office desk, I now use Focus Time, an app on my iPad, because it allows me to categorize my work as well as provide a timer that’s visual, not just auditory (plus I can choose the sounds for the ticking and ending). This year I’m also expanding my writing toolbox by using Evernote and a Fujitsu ScanSnap iX500 along with Scrivener, all unusual tools that take time to learn but once mastered, can be immensely helpful. I’ll share my experiences in future posts.
Engaging Places 
I also use a kitchen timer. I set it to remind me of my next meeting and to provide enough time to prepare for it.
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Oh yes, thanks for the suggestion! So many uses for a kitchen timer in the office. Because I can get so easily focused on a project and lose track of time, I also use a kitchen timer to remind me of an upcoming meeting. Yes, Gmail and Apple now build reminders into calendars, but I use a Polder kitchen timer with a loop so I can wear it around my neck in case I wander out of my office to do something. I may look silly, but it’s reduced the chances of me being late to a meeting. 🙂
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I’ll be interested in your thoughts on Evernote. I started to use it some years ago but switched to Pages on the iPad and stick with Word on the laptop. What does Evernote offer? Think I’ll try Focus Time (until I can find a cool looking kitchen timer). 😉
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I started using Evernote several years ago when it first came out and it really didn’t help me. It just seemed like another place to store and lose things “in the Cloud.” But some people kept mentioning the wonders of Evernote so I studied it more carefully, coming to the conclusion that it’s a tool that requires a new way of thinking, just like a microwave oven or Post-It notes (which I also doubted at first). After watching the webinar, “Going Paperless with Evernote” on Dottotech (https://youtu.be/8Jj6Sn0YTv8), I decided to give it another go. I’ll be using to help me write a book this year, so I’ll definitely know better by June if it’s as magical as some people believe.
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