For the unmedicated: Dynamic Pomodoro method
If you struggle to be productive due to your workflow being too unstructured, allowing you to get distracted too easily, this is one way I have found structure your time:
-
In essence, you switch from centering your attention around the task to centering it around a timer.
-
You start at a timer. You plan what your next step will be (baby steps), and write it down. You allocate yourself time to do that task. Repeat.
-
The one sentence goal statement is crucial because it reminds you what you are supposed to be doing during the timer if you get sidetracked.
-
If the timer runs out before you finish, that's fine, but you are obliged to come back to the drawing board and re-write the goal statement.
-
Snoozing the timer is a bad habit.
7 replies
Wait, can you explain a little more? I’m not sure I fully understand.
Which bit?
The all of it
how does this help you?
When I set out to do an important task on my computer, I usually get sidetracked within the first 10 minutes, because I rely on being able to control what I am doing for long periods of time (which I am not in fact able to do). This simple system gives my workflow a much tighter structure which leaves me a lot less room to accidentally get sidetracked.
I don't use a timer but I do write logs, and use those logs centrally to my work. Anytime I get distracted, my first reflex is to go look back at what I wrote down to be doing, often indeed in one sentence (enough to jog my memory, but more if some links are important for instance)
Yeah, I often find myself doing that too. At this point I'd say it is actually crucial to me for getting things done, even on medication.