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If we met on the street and I asked how you were, I’d bet your answer would be, “Busy.”
I hear that a lot. We’re all busy these days—so busy that thinking about our to-do lists can make our jaws clench. We get so caught up in what we have to do that the things we want to do never happen. The overwhelm can leave us frozen, unsure where to begin.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone—I feel that way sometimes too.
Setting Yourself Up for Success
When I’m on deadline for a book, life gets especially intense. Some people thrive under a deadline; for me, anxiety can drain my creativity and joy if I let it. Because deadlines and busyness are part of life—especially for writers—I’m always looking for systems that make the pressure manageable. Over time I’ve discovered a few reliable strategies.
In earlier posts I’ve written about creating a firm, peaceful start to the day and about the power of writing down goals and using a planner to break them into measurable steps. If you haven’t read those posts, they’re worth checking out later. One planner I recommend is undated so you can start anytime—practical for organizing priorities and staying on track.
Start Small
This week I’m focusing on small changes and simple steps that make life better. When it comes to overcoming the paralysis of procrastination and reclaiming time for what matters, I have one deceptively simple trick you’ll love.
It’s easy to implement, inexpensive if you don’t already have the tool, and involves a single small step that helps you push through procrastination, chip away at your to-do list, and find pockets of time for things you enjoy.
Sound good? It is.
How to Take Back Your Time
The first thing you need—unless you already own one—is a kitchen timer. A small mechanical or digital timer works fine.
If you’re puzzled, let me explain.
About ten years ago I was juggling life in Connecticut: raising a teen, working a demanding part-time job, and racing a novel deadline. I was overwhelmed and felt like I was failing at everything—even though I was burning late-night hours, my book wasn’t progressing.
When I sat down to write, I often managed only to sit. I’d type a sentence, delete it, repeat, then hide in email to feel productive. The cycle left me frustrated and farther from my goal. It felt a lot like the Oscar Wilde joke about moving a comma back and forth—funny as a line, miserable in real life when a deadline looms.
How to Stop Procrastinating
Convinced I was lazy and talentless, I felt trapped—until I attended a library talk titled something like “Seventeen-Minute Procrastination Cure.” The presenter, a red-haired PhD who has ADD, shared a simple strategy she used to complete her doctoral thesis.
Her challenge was the same as many of ours: a huge task seen as one impossible whole. She realized the trick was to break it into bite-size pieces and work in short, focused blocks of time she knew she could sustain—seventeen minutes in her case.
She bought a kitchen timer, set it for seventeen minutes, and worked with no interruptions. She kept a pad nearby to jot down distracting thoughts so she could return to them later. When the timer dinged, she stood up, celebrated briefly, then took a short break before setting the timer again. She finished her thesis that way—seventeen minutes at a time.
The method worked for her and it worked for me. It can work for you too.
How to Use the Timer
Choose a time you’re confident you can focus for. For that PhD it was seventeen minutes. For me it’s forty-five. Your ideal length may be shorter or longer—the exact number is less important than that you can commit to it.
Set the timer and work only on the chosen task. No phone, no email, no interruptions. If distracting thoughts arise, jot a word or two on a pad and return to the task. Tell family or housemates that interruptions should wait unless there’s an emergency.
Celebrate Your Success
When the timer goes off, celebrate—stand up, stretch, give yourself a quick whoop or a small reward. It might feel silly, but acknowledging progress helps reinforce the habit. Keep a small treat or another tiny reward handy if that motivates you.
Rinse and Repeat
After your brief celebration, take a break. Handle any quick tasks or messages, then set the timer again and take another focused bite out of your work. Some days you’ll manage multiple sessions; other days life interferes and a single short session is all you can manage. That’s okay—one meaningful session is better than none.
Over time, those small focused sessions accumulate. Even if you only manage seventeen minutes some days, you’ll move closer to your goal and feel better for having accomplished something that matters. When life gets chaotic, knowing you finished at least one purposeful task can preserve your sanity.
Seventeen minutes—or whatever span you choose—seems small on its own, but repeated consistently it leads to real progress and unexpected results.
So get a timer, set it, and start taking back your time.