kitchen table math, the sequel: help desk - timers

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

help desk - timers

So all the anti-procrastination behavior-mod types keep telling me to get a timer that beeps every five minutes, so I can find out, every five minutes, whether or not I am on task.

Here’s another technique that works pretty well to keep me on task: Sometimes I use a timer that beeps every five minutes. And when the timer beeps, I mark on a graph, whether I was on task or off task at the time of the beep. That’s a great one for cutting down on my daydreaming. It gives me a rule that specifies a more immediate deadline. Stay on task, because that timer is going to beep pretty soon, and you don’t want to ruin your graph. So instead of having a daily deadline, or an hourly deadline, I’ve got a sort of five-minute deadline, except I’m never too sure how soon it’s going to be.
I'll Stop Procrastinating When I Get Around to It
by Dick Malott
Chapter 3: How to Get Yourself to Write


So here's my question.

Where does one buy an every-five-minute timer?

Behaviorists toss off this advice like the rest of us just know that:

a) every-five-minute timers exist

and

b) where we go to get one

Well, I don't know.

When I first heard tell of folks setting 5-minute timers to find out whether they were on task, I didn't want to know whether or not I was on task every 5-minutes.

But now I do want to know, but I don't have a timer and I don't know where to get one.

Thank you in advance.

[pause]

The word interval has just popped into my head.

interval as in interval timer

There must be such an animal.

[pause]

Is this it?

They seem to have quite a few of these things for boxers. Apparently boxing is easier than writing. They only have 2 to 3 minute intervals.

Or maybe that means boxing is harder.

7 comments:

Catherine Johnson said...

Is this what they're talking about?

http://www.amazon.com/Perform-Better-Seiko-Interval-Timer/dp/B00065WZTS

Jim said...

we have a simple digital kitchen timer. you set the time you want 5 10 15 minutes, hit start and it counts down and beeps at 0. then reset and go again.

nothing fancy.

Anonymous said...

Yep, digital kitchen timer, very small, under $10.

SteveH said...

My mother has one of those timers even though she is in her 80's. It's going off all of the time. If it were mine, I would stomp on it.

Remember, hard work pays off sometime in the future; procrastination pays off right now. Stop and smell the roses.


I find that a lot of my programming work gets done in fairly short times of intense concentration. The hard part is getting started. The way I try to deal with this is to leave off at "easy spots". I don't like to leave off at the end of a big task. It's too hard to get started on something new. If I leave off at an easy spot, then my brain doesn't have to work hard the next time I pick up the work. Once I get going, I find it easier to deal with more difficult problems.

Anonymous said...

The Timex Expedition wristwatch has a timer with a "flip the hourglass" repeat mode. Mine is set to 6 minutes and enabled when I barbecue.

It's also useful if I find myself posting at blogs instead of crafting educational reform.

Oops.

Anonymous said...

These types of timers are also used for yoga practice. They tell you when you should change poses. Now & Zen makes an expensive but pleasant sounding chime. (got one for the wife)

-prices

Catherine Johnson said...

we have a simple digital kitchen timer. you set the time you want 5 10 15 minutes, hit start and it counts down and beeps at 0. then reset and go again.

See, this is a VERY BAD IDEA for me.

Having to stop and re-set a timer every 5 minutes....

You probably get the picture.