If you're like me, the thing that scares you the most and gives you anxiety is Time. Time is an abstract concept and somehow we've managed to commoditize it.
It makes sense, we live a life and we have to do something with it. People eventually figured that you could make other people offer their time in exchange for something or sometimes nothing (if you look at history). Eventually, people began to realize that work productivity can be measured in time. Kingdoms and cities sprung up into existence because of this.
Now, in the 21st century, it's still the same. Working conditions are somewhat better but people still offer their time in exchange for something. You may be a self-employed person, you might run a company or you might work as an employee. But everybody works, sometimes they do productive work, sometimes not.
The talk about using focus timers is a bit controversial concept. People don't like using it because they feel like they're giving away their freedom to an evil boss.
But let me give you another perspective - Not everybody needs to use a focus timer. Sometimes I don't too. But if you struggle with doing things focus timers and help you do a lot more.
1. Keeps you on task
How many times have you set out to do something but eventually gone off on a tangent and not do the first thing you wanted to do? Yea, it happens a lot - especially if you have a wandering mind or ADHD or sometimes even when you're stressed.
Using a focus timer you can block a chunk of time and just focus on that one single task. Multitasking got a really popular couple of years ago, but it was a symptom of a small majority talking and writing about it on the internet. They say it's a superpower, but really you know the answer. It works but it drains you mentally and makes you exhausted.
It also reminds you what task you're working on.
2. Holds you accountable
If you work remotely and by yourself, sometimes it's easy to go with the flow and forget to hold yourself accountable. Happens to me many times, especially when I start working on something. I started browsing the web and then an hour or two went by before realizing it.
But when I use a focus timer, I get that feeling of pressure of deadline. Which helps with laser-focusing my efforts into what I'm doing. It sort of creates this artificial mental boundary, like a park that I can run around in but I'm still inside that part.
Compared to when I'm not using a focus timer, I'm in a large field and it's easy to go anywhere without restrictions.
3. Gives you a Sense of Control and Autonomy
It's normal to feel helpless in many situations, in our day-to-day work it happens more often than not. Especially if you have the tendency to overthink, you're mind wanders into the depths where it shouldn't be.
Using a focus timer when this happens, gives you absolute certainty, it tells you what you have to do and how much time you have, it gives you a sense of urgency but it is all in your control. I like uncertainty, personally, I thrive in it but during my day-to-day activities, I like to have some sort of certainty.
4. The anxiety in the Passage of Time
I look back at the years that have passed, it was just 2019. I got my first job, in the month of April. I still remember the first team meeting I had, it was exciting and life seemed full of posibilites.
Now, 5 years have passed and I wonder where did the time go? Did the pandemic shift my perception of time? I hear this often from people, they feel like time is going faster now compared to before. Maybe it is just aging.
Our lives are short, even though we think it's long. Time goes by rapidly and many of us have dreams of things we want to do, things we want to create, and maybe sometimes just live in the moment. I too have such dreams, things I want to create.
But time goes by so quickly that my anxiety goes up with it. And I want to be in the moment and feel every second, each minute. Dedicate myself to my craft, while still savoring the daily pleasures of life.
5. Prevents burnout
Burnouts are a bitch. I had a long burnout spell after overworking so much that I didn't care about anything. I wanted to do things but I struggled with getting myself to do it. When you mindlessly do something day after day, it becomes a mundane routine. Ever since I started using a focus timer, I know how much time I have to work and not do more than a few hours. It lets me measure things and keeps me sane.
6. Struggle with maintaining focus for longer period
Some of us find it hard to do something for hours and hours. During this period, we let our minds wander, we start procrastinating and not making enough progress.
Setting short focus sessions can help a lot if you struggle with this problem.
7. Keeps you going, sees your progress & trains you to focus
We like to see change, change is progress. Just as we like to observe progress happening to other things, we also like to see how much we've grown over a certain period of time. Tracking your focus sessions and seeing your data about how much you've improved can really help you do more.
I personally love looking at data, I use it as a reference to chart a course for a journey. Also, you feel good when you see the numbers going up. Just like your bank account ;)