On Fridays, I often find myself using my timer for productivity sprints. Setting a timer for short amounts of concentrated work can help you power through a bunch of small tasks or get started on something you’ve been putting off.
Why 15 minutes?
Because 15 minutes is long enough to make some visible progress on a task, so that you can build momentum and feel a sense of accomplishment.
… And because 15 minutes is short enough to help you tackle even boring or unpleasant tasks. Just tell yourself “it’s only 15 minutes.”
Don’t know what to work on for your Friday 15? Try one of these:
- review your calendar and commitments for the upcoming week
- write the first 3 sentences of an essay, memo, blog post, or email you’ve been wanting to write
- clear off your desk
- skim and delete as many old emails as you can before the timer goes off
- file and/or shred paper documents
- pay bills
Join in!
Productivity sprints are even more fun if you do them with a buddy or a group. Share your accomplishments and gain support from other people tackling their Friday tasks on Twitter with the hashtag #Fri15 or in the comments on my Facebook page. I’ll be leading a couple of sprints starting at the top of the hour throughout the day on Fridays, but of course you can do yours any time!