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The Easy Way To Get Your Family To Work

October 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Need help getting your work done, specifically those small chores that seem to pile up as the day goes on?  Do you need help getting your kids to help out around the house?

If you answered yes to either question, I’ve got an easy way to help you to get the work done.

All you need is a timer.  You can use the timer app on your smartphone, microwave timer, kitchen timer, or an app like Focus Booster.  Set the timer and get to work.

Yes, its that easy.

The Easy Way To Get Your Family To WorkI had two separate situations this weekend where I needed my husband and 8 year old son’s help for tasks that neither of us wanted to do.  The first task was to clean up the boy’s room and quickly sort through the piles to create a keep and toss pile and restore order.  The second task was to help put the house back together after a weekend of having my family visit.  Neither task was fun but both were necessary.

My solution was to explain what the task was and that we only had to work on it for 15 minutes.  The plan was to get as much done as we could in 15 minutes and when the time was up, the work stopped.  And in both situations, when the time was up the work was done.

They didn’t know it, but I used Parkinson’s Law to help me get the work done.

Parkinson’s Law states “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion”.

I gave them 15 minutes to do the work and it was done in 15 minutes.  If I would have given them an hour to do the work, it would have taken the full hour.  And 15 minutes is the perfect length of time for my husband and son to work on a chore.  Its short enough that they can stick with the task without losing focus and long enough that I can get some real work out of them.

Parkinson’s Law works at home and in the office.  Set a timer, do nothing but work on the task at hand, and when the time’s up and the work’s done.  And even if the work isn’t completely done, you just made 15 minutes worth of progress.  It’s so simple and yet the simplicity is what it makes it so brilliant.  No fancy gadgets or complicated systems.  Set a timer, work, and stop working when the timer goes off.

Everyone wins.  I’m happy the work is done and I didn’t have to nag anyone.  And my family is happy because I’m happy.

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The Pomodoro Technique

March 26, 2012 by 1 Comment

Call it Spring Fever or maybe I’m coming out of my winter hibernation, but I’d rather be outside than inside and my concentration is starting to suffer.  Spring Fever is not a legitimate excuse to get me out of work, so I need a little help to get back into my groove.  My go to strategy is to use the Pomodoro Technique.

The Pomodoro Technique helps increase focus and concentration by splitting up your work into intervals.  The technique recommends you work on a specific task, no multi-tasking allowed, for 25 minutes and then take a 5 minute break.  Its a short enough interval that its not overwhelming and once I get started, I usually end up working longer than 25 minutes because I’ve found my focus.

When its time for a break, I try to stand up and get away from the desk for a few minutes.  I try not to check email or get online because its easy to get sucked in and I could lose my focus.

I use an app that I’ve installed on my computer called Focus Booster, available for Mac and Windows.  Its free and its simple to use.  I can adjust the interval length, right now I have mine set for 30 minutes of work and a 5 minute break.  And it keeps track of how many intervals I’ve gone through, which is great for those projects in which I’m required to track how much time I’m spending on it.

Once you start Focus Booster and click the green arrow the timer will start.  I usually minimize the application or move it to a lower corner of the screen so I don’t watch the time countdown.  When the time is up, an alert will sound and your 5 minute break starts.  Repeat as necessary until the task is complete.

You could also set a timer on your phone or tablet and I’m sure there are other apps out there that will do the same thing.  If you find something that works for you, use it.  But don’t spend too much time searching for the perfect tool, that’s procrastination and you want to focus on the work, not on the tool.

I don’t use Focus Booster and the Pomodoro Technique all the time, but when my focus starts to waver its great to have these tools to fall back on.  They are simple to use, free, and help me get my work done so I can finish my work.

When you notice your focus slipping, what do you do to help get it back?  Let us know in the comments!

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