How to get your time back
I can count on the fingers of one hand
I enjoy and use many creative tools and was wondering which I find most indispensable. At first I thought it might be design software or Word, then maybe organisational tools like Bridge or Dropbox but when I strip all that back, I realise that the thing that has the deepest effect on my practice is my timer.
There’s nothing special about it, it’s just a battery operated timer with three buttons. One for minutes, one for seconds and one to start and stop the thing.
My favourite tool
And I guess I use it in a slightly unexpected way. I don't use it make myself hurry up, though that can be useful sometimes. I use it to cut time into little manageable chunks. How? If I'm due to write for example and I'm delaying/procrastinating, I make a little bargain with myself. I ask the question 'Is it possible to write for 15 minutes?’. I find it very hard not to answer ‘yes’ to that question. So I start the timer and fulfil that little obligation. Usually I find that after 15-45 mins I get into it and surrender to the task. But even if I don't and just do 15 mins, it still has a valuable effect for the longer term. In that 15 mins I have given myself tangible proof that I can do that difficult thing which, over time, changes my relationship with it. Nice.
BTW, I've tried the timer on my phone but it’s just too connected. Too many apps and emails and the noise of the internet. I find it's best to shut all that down to train your focus onto the project in front of you. In this way, you get time back on your side.
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