Someone recently asked me on Threads, “why do you use a timer?”
In this post I want to answer that question and explain why I think that, if you’re anything like me and you love productivity, you should definitely use a timer when you write.
(btw, my timer is set as I write this 😉
A timer is essential for productivity
At least for me.
And here’s why. A timer adds three things to my writing session:
- Pressure
- Boundaries
- Excitement
A little bit of pressure helps me stay focused. Boundaries tell me when my writing time starts and more importantly, when it ends. I feel excited because I wonder just how much writing I can get done in the set amount of time. All three combine to create an enjoyable and productive session!
Still not convinced? Keep reading.
3 Benefits to Using a Timer
- You can track yourself
“If you want to make progress, measure it.”
This is a version of a phrase I’ve heard said much more eloquently by various people, and it’s so true! So while I don’t find this helpful to do all the time—sometimes being super focused on results stunts my creativity— tracking my productivity can be very beneficial and fun too!
For instance, if I was trying to write faster, tracking my word count would be a great way to measure my progress, which, in turn, would help me know when I was getting faster and when I needed to keep trying.
Obviously, merely tracking my progress won’t make me grow, I have to put in the effort, but it does make growing much easier because it shows me exactly how much you need to adjust my effort to get the results I want.
- You can set a goal
For me, using a timer makes a writing session extra fun because I can set a goal for each section of time that I write in! Sometimes these are word count goals, and sometimes they’re something like, “finish the first draft of this blog post” or “write five reel captions”.
I don’t always hit these goals (I thought I’d be done with this blog post draft by now but I just set my timer for another 15 minutes. Haha!) but I find them fun just the same.
- Distraction becomes harder
There’s nothing like the threat of a rapidly down counting timer to keep your mind focused on the task at hand, is there?!
For me, a timer is accountability. I hate to not write during the time I set aside to write, and because the boundaries of that writing time are made so clear by the timer, I tend to stay more focused. Even the act of setting the timer tells my brain “we’re going to write now, okay? Stop it. Don’t click that instagram icon. Write.” Haha.
And that, in so many words, is why I use a timer and why I think you should too. And you know, we’re all different with different strategies for being productive, so if using a timer doesn’t work for you, that’s fine too! I would be curious though, why do you find it more beneficial to not use one?
Feel free to COMMENT BELOW and let me know if you use a timer while you write or if you have decided to after reading this post!
