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.

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[–] 6 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Wait, can you explain a little more? I’m not sure I fully understand.

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  • [–] [S] 5 points 1 month ago (3 children)
  • [–] 4 points 1 month ago (1 child)
  • [–] [S] 9 points 1 month ago*

    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.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    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)

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