10 Ways Setting A Timer Will Completely Change Your Life

Apr 9, 2020 | Baby and Kids, Family Time, Lifestyle, Organization, Parenting

One of my biggest and most effective tips for getting more done is so much simpler than you think! It's true, setting a timer can actually help you be more efficient and intentional with your time! 3. 2. 1. GO!!

10 ways setting a timer will completely change your life - Tips from Fun Cheap or Free

Productivity is such an important goal for every single one of us! It's not about doing MORE. It's about knocking out all of the tasks you need to do, so that you can do more of what you love to do! The truth is that once you master the art of being truly productive, your whole life changes for the better!

*Note: When you click the links in this post, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

One of the things I do that has made a HUUUGGGEEE difference in my life is setting a timer to help me focus in and get things done! Not sure why it took me so long to figure this little secret out. Using a simple timer has helped me solve (or at least greatly help) some recurring issues in my life:

  • Nagging my kids to move faster, turn off the TV, get their chores done…
  • Feeling like I was doing nothing but cleaning all day, but not really accomplishing anything…
  • Not giving myself ample time to relax during the day, or relaxing for too long and feeling guilty for wasting inordinate amounts of time…

These and many more things can all be made better by using a simple kitchen timer, watch, clock feature on your phone, stopwatch, or sun dial (let's hope not…). Here are some of the ways I use a timer throughout my day to make my life much easier. Let's check 'em out!

SET A TIMER TO MAKE MEAL TIMES A BREEZE

Make meal times a breeze when you use this tip from Fun Cheap or Free!

With young kids meal times can become a marathon event full of threatening, nagging, and punishing to get them to eat all their food. Sounds dramatic? Yes, it really is.

In frustration, we set the timer for 10 minutes one night, and announced that anyone who was finished with their food by the time the timer beeped got dessert. The rest of the 10 minutes was filled with chit chat, singing, casual banter—because we weren't yelling and nagging any more. When the timer beeped, the kids who finished their dinner got dessert. The others didn't.

They threw a fit, of course… but that's now their problem. It's all about transferring pressure from us, to that mean ol' timer.

TIPS FOR USING THE DINNER TIMER

Now, the “dinner's up” timer is a regular occurrence in our house! Here are some ways I've learned to make it ultra successful:

  • Keep the dessert simple. SUPER simple.
  • We're careful to not give them more than they could/should eat, because they have to eat every bite of what's on their plate before the timer runs out to get dessert.
  • They don't HAVE to eat everything that's on their plate…but they do if they want dessert. 
  • We only use the meal timer as-needed. Some days we don't need the timer. They are starving, or love dinner, or the stars are aligned for whatever reason and dinner goes off without a hitch.
  • We use the timer for any meal, not just dinner. This really comes in handy on mornings when they have school and it seems like a battle to get everyone out the door on time.
  • Try to keep mealtimes fun and conversational, even if/when the timer is used. No one will be motivated to come to dinner if it's a total drag! See my dinnertime tips for more ways to make dinner a fun experience for everyone.

USE A TIMER TO ENCOURAGE PLAY TIME

Some kids have mastered the art of playing independently or focusing on certain things for longer periods of times. For those who need help to zone in on certain aspects of play, use a timer! This is really helpful for those kids who get “bored” easily and bounce around from thing to thing. It will help keep the messes down and help them get actual play time in.

Depending on your child's age, come up with an appropriate amount of time for the following:

  • Total Independent Play – Allow them to play on their own with whatever they want.
  • Focused Play – Give them something to play with, like legos or playdough, and a certain amount of time to play with it.
  • Reading – This is great for kids of all ages, whether they just look at the pictures or are able to read.

Eventually, you should find that your kids will get used to doing these activities for certain amounts of time. That timer may become irrelevant! However, it's a great way to have them focus on something before going outside to play, having screen time, or doing homework.

USE A TIMER TO KEEP YOUR HOUSE CLEAN

10 ways a simple timer will completely change your life! From Fun Cheap or Free

Ever look at your house and feel absolutely overwhelmed? Between the deep-cleaning, organizing, and just staying on top of the day-to-day messes, there are days where it's easier to just ignore it all because there is NO WAY we could possibly get it all done…

…right?

We started using a simple timer to help stay motivated and on-top of messes. When the kids go down for naps, for example, choose one room to work on (like the kitchen). Set a timer for 5, 10, or 15 minutes (not usually longer than that). Work as hard and fast as you can until the timer beeps. Then stop what you're doing, even if it's mid-spray, and move on with my day, or move on to another room and do the same thing.

Let me tell you what…it's AMAZING what you can do in 5 minutes when you buckle down, focus, and you feel a sense of urgency.

TIPS TO MAKE THIS WORK WELL

  • Start with general cleaning first! Then move to fine details only if you still have time once the general cleaning is done. Start by picking things up and putting them where they go. If they belong in another room, put it all in a laundry basket, then take 1 of the minutes to run around and put everything back where it goes.
  • Be sure to stop when the timer stops! You're setting the timer for a reason, mostly because you're short on time and want to stay motivated. If it becomes a marathon event every time you do this, your subconscious will want to do it less and less.
  • Get your family involved! We will often do a 3 minute “blitz clean-up” before dinner and make a game out of it. Whoever can pick up the most items, or get their specific job done in the 3 minutes gets a piece of candy before dinner, or gets their stick moved up on their behavior chart, or gets a high-five from us.
  • See more tips like this in my “spring cleaning tips” post!

One phrase that runs through my mind when doing this is… “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time”. Think of your house as an elephant, and embrace tackling it bit by bit! (or bite by bite, if you'd rather…)

USE A TIMER TO HELP KIDS TIDY FAST

Who has a kid that willingly cleans up after themselves before moving on to the next thing? If you raised your hand, then teach us your ways! 😉 A timer is a great way to motivate your kids to clean up quickly. Whether it's just Calico Critters on the couch or the whole floor is a mess, that timer will do the trick!

Make it a game to clean up as quickly as possible and beat the timer. Kids will have fun racing the clock to see if they can win. If you have a more stubborn cleaner, then feel free to motivate them with something! If they're done cleaning when the timer goes off, they get a reward! Maybe they get to do something fun, get a small piece of candy, or get to watch a quick show. You'll be amazed at how quickly they can go!

So, there you go! Those are just a few of the ways I use a timer in my day to help me stay efficient, and to ease tension and tantrums in the Page household.

USE A TIMER TO SCHEDULE GUILT-FREE R&R INTO YOUR DAY

Schedule guilt-free time into your day! Great way to get some R&R daily. Fun Cheap or Free

As a mom the work is never done. EVER. (especially if your husband is gone for work a lot.) For all you “doers” out there, you'll totally get this—I tend to feel guilty when I sit and veg out, and am not really “accomplishing” anything which is why I'm such a multi-tasker. (Can anyone relate?)

This leads to burnout and one cranky mama! Take some time for self-care each and every day. It will help motivate you and keep you productive. Thanks to a little timer, R&R is more balanced for me now.

Choose certain times in your day to block in guilt-free time to do whatever you want–social media, Pinterest, sit and watch pointless reality TV, read, nap, whatever! This is usually while kids are napping, or at night right after kids go to bed, before tackling the dinner mess and tornado from the day. When the timer goes off, you will feel reenergized and ready to tackle all of the things you need to accomplish before day's end. The amount of time can vary from day to day, depending on how you feel or how much you do or don't need to get done that day.

Either way, it's helped me slow down, and focus on ME for a minute. Literally.

SET A TIMER TO HELP KIDS TAKE TURNS

We've all been there… The whining, nagging and crying because somebody is playing with a toy that someone else wants to play with. The answer is simple! Set a timer. Choose the amount of time that's best suited for the age of your kids. Younger kids have a smaller attention span, so 5 minutes is usually a good amount of time. Older kids obviously have a larger attention span, so 10 or 15 minutes may be more acceptable.

When the timer goes off, they switch and everybody is happy. In theory, anyways. 😉 It's a great way to let the timer be the “bad guy.” Plus, instead of asking you how much longer they have to wait, they can look at the timer. Winning!

SET A TIMER TO HELP MANAGE SCREEN-TIME

Manage screen-time more effectively by setting a timer. Fun Cheap or Free

We aren't huge TV watchers in our house, but we certainly love a good show or kid movie to help ease the kids into the day, motivate them to “earn” screen-time, or just help keep them occupied for a minute so we can quickly get stuff done.

BUT…

No matter what the day, time, hour, show, or reason, my kids almost always throw a FIT when it's time to turn the TV off. Guess what!?! Setting a timer can help.

LET THE TIMER BE THE BAD GUY

Give your kids fair warning. When it's time for the TV to go off, tell them, “3 minutes until the show gets turned off, even if it the [show or game] is not over!”. Set the timer on your phone and set the phone right next to them. Once the timer goes off, sing-song cheerily “Yay! You guys got to watch so much TV, how fun! The timer says it's time to turn it off now, can't wait for you to watch it again next time!”. And CLICK. The screen (iPad, computer, TV, phone, etc) goes off.

It's AMAZING the difference. It's helped cut down dramatically on “screen withdrawal tantrums” especially. You can even set the timer when they first start their screen-time session. Have your kids be responsible for turning screens off when the timer goes off.

It also keeps us parents in check and helps as avoid turning our kids into zombies by sticking them in front of a screen too much. I know some parents that have their kids earn minutes of screen time for every 5 minutes they play outside (or do something active, or read, etc.). There are lots of ways a timer can help make the screen-time battle more peaceful!

*Pro Tip: This timer method works well for ending any sort of activity for kids–playing at a park, leaving a friend's house, time to clean up toys, etc. By giving them even one minute warning and setting it on a timer, it helps give them time to mentally prepare for the fun to end, and again, transfers pressure off of you!

USE A TIMER TO GET THE FAMILY MOVING

Sometimes it's hard to be purposeful and get your body moving during the day. You can have the greatest intentions, but then realize that you're at the end of the day and you never got around to doing it. Pick a set time every day, start your timer, and get active! It doesn't matter if you've only got 20 minutes or an hour and a half to spare. Be intentional with your time and you'll be glad that you did!

This could be a walk around the block, playing at the park, working out at home or doing some fun movement activities together. Set that timer and get to it!

USE A TIMER TO RESCUE BEDTIME

Rescue bedtime when you set a timer. Fun tips to make bedtime routines more smooth. Fun Cheap or Free

Do you have a CHATTER BOX? At night when we're tucking kids in bed, it's like someone put a quarter in and gave 'em a shot of Red Bull. They talk at lightening speed and find any and all reasons to keep us in the room.

“I need a drink”…”Just one more story?”…”I want to tell you something”…”I want to wear different jammies”. When they were younger, we found bedtime dragging out to a 30, 45, even 60-minute process some nights. Some kids weren't getting much quality time with us at all, simply because they weren't demanding it.

Now we've started doingtuck-in timeto even the playing field, and make sure kids are getting quality time at bedtime…while keeping the process down to an efficient timeline.

HOW TUCK IN TIME WORKS

  • We read books and pray together as a family first. Then we separate the kids into their own rooms for individual tuck-in time.
  • The kids get 15 minutes of tuck-in time per week.
  • We can read extra books to/with them during their tuck-in time, or we do “talking time” if they prefer. Whatever it is, it has to be done in their bed, with them laying down.
  • We set the timer and let them ramble at record pace. We also use this time to talk about what is going on the next day, exciting things coming up on the calendar, etc.
  • When the timer goes off we both put our hands over our mouths and stop talking, mid-sentence (whether it's “talking-time” or reading together). If they try to keep talking I cut 'em off and whisper, “the timer is beeping! We can't talk any more, you'll wake your [stuffed] animals!” and try to make a game out of it.
  • If they start whining or fighting me on it I'll get more stern and say something like “Uh oh, if you talk after the timer beeps then we have to take away 1 minute of tuck-in time tomorrow” and that tends to do the trick.

Tuck-in time WORKS. Like. A. Friggin. Champ.

It works the opposite way for other kids. It gets them talking and helps us engage in conversation with them that we might not think to do otherwise, because they simply don't talk as much as other kids! They get several precious minutes of undivided attention from us, which makes them feel loved and helps us get to know them better.

The kids can earn extra time on their behavior chart, or if we feel like they are extra wiggly or needy that night we will sneak in an extra minute or two.

USE A TIMER WHILE WORKING

This is a great way to keep on task, whether you work from home or work in an office. In order to become more efficient, come up with time limits for each of the daily tasks that you do. Then, use a timer when you're doing that task. When you're completely zoned in on a specific task, you can get a lot more done in a specific amount of time. No more dabbling in it all day long!

If emails can interrupt your day, allow yourself 20 minutes first thing in the morning to respond to those. Then if you need to do it again in the afternoon, set another 20 minute timer and do it as quickly as you can. You can do this for pretty much anything that you need to work on!

For those larger projects that will take more time, feel free to set a timer for a longer period of time, like an hour. The key is being purposeful during that time and only working on what you're supposed to be working on. Unless they're urgent, all calls, texts, emails and any other company correspondence can wait until you're in that block of time. (Yes, block scheduling works great for your work day, too!)

USE A TIMER TO BLOCK YOUR TIME

Use a timer to block your time and watch your productivity soar. Fun Cheap or Free

Last, but not least, if you've been following along for 2.5 seconds, then you know that we are alllll about the block schedule to keep our day running smoothly. A timer is the perfect way to keep your tasks within each block going as efficiently as possible.

Whatever it is that you need to work on during each block, give it a time limit! Set a timer for organizing your closet, working on your budget, meal planning, or anything else that you have going on during that chunk of time.

*Pro Tip: Set alarms on your phone to notify you when your blocks are about to change. That'll let you know to wrap up what you're working on before it's time to move to the next thing!

PRODUCTIVITY PLANNER

Want to really up your productivity? Do you feel disorganized? Stressed? Burnt out? Unfulfilled? Ready to say “BUH-BYE” to that state of overwhelm without giving up the things that mean the most to you? Say hello to the ultimate productivity guide! The Productivity Planner by Jordan Page is your step-by-step guide to getting more done while enjoying more free time.

  • This is not your typical planner! It's not just about your schedule—it's about getting things done.
  • Learn to prioritize family time and self-care while still meeting your obligations by working smarter, not harder.
  • Learn practical and effective solutions for creating routines and systems that work for you and your family.
  • Includes a step-by-step guide to the viral “block schedule” system.
  • Walks you through every week, making sure you complete tasks while still finding room for guilt-free “me time.”

Do YOU ever use timers? If so, how does setting a timer help in your day? Please fill us in by leaving a comment!

Did you know that setting a timer will completely change your life? Here's how!!! From Fun Cheap or Free

If all of this sounds great, but you're wanting more to help out with your day, then you definitely need to check out Productivity Boot Camp! Freebs were loving my tips so much that I turned it into an online video program and it's the best thing since sliced bread. 😉

I know, I know, it sounds amazing and right up your alley! I know that you're going to love it, so go ahead and use the code FCFBLOG at checkout to get 10% off, just because!


Wanting to find a few other great ideas? Set your timer and get to reading!

Have a good TIME today! (har, har, har…)

Jordan Page Signature from Fun Cheap or Free

35 Comments

  1. Whitney

    Ok, I’m new to your blog (my mom’s been a fan for years) and this post is AMAZING. I love it!! There are so many ways I can see us using this in the future. I have a 6 month old, so we obviously aren’t there yet (obv) but still pinning it for future reference! Thank you!!!

    Reply
    • FunCheapOrFree

      I’m so glad you like it! The list could go on and on, it’s amazing what a little timer can do. Congrats on the baby 🙂 Thanks for reading!

      Reply
  2. Shambray

    I love using a timer. It is my best friend. I am now going to try the “dinners up” timer! Brilliant!

    Reply
  3. Emily

    I LOVE the timer method! Especially for laundry, since that seems to be my Achilles heel. I’ll let 3-4 loads of clean laundry pile up & then I feel too overwhelmed to tackle it. I’ve learned to set the timer for 20 minutes & give laundry my full attention for that time & I ALWAYS finish. I always feel so accomplished!

    Reply
    • FunCheapOrFree

      That’s such a great idea! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  4. Kelsey

    YOU ARE AMAZING! Seriously, this is why you’re my favorite. I NEEDED this in my life right now! I’m so overwhelmed, I just haven’t been doing any of it! This will help my Type A personality and my lazy attitude lately. Seriously, thank you!

    Reply
    • FunCheapOrFree

      Kelsey I’m SO GLAD! I wrote this thinking, “this is a dumb post – I hope people actually find this useful”. So if no one else does, I’m glad that YOU liked it!! Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply
  5. Julia

    This is such a funny coincidence – this very morning, I used a timer to get myself ready while my kids were eating breakfast. I set it for 20 minutes, but since everyone was happy AND I didn’t have mascara on yet, I set it for 5 more, then finished my routine with time to tidy up the bathroom. 25 minutes to shower, dress, hair and makeup – not bad!!The best part is it forced me to choose my outfit and get it all done without obsessing. It worked so well, we were out at the bus stop 10 minutes early! I am SO inspired to start timing all sorts of things. Thanks for the tips, Jordan!

    Reply
  6. Naomi

    Jordan! I love your blog! Don’t stop! Everything you write inspires us to do better! Remember for every comment, there’s at least ten more bashful viewers nodding our heads.:)
    I’ve used timers for kids who struggle w/ homework and practicing music… I’ve heard the concept of using it for chores, but(duh) haven’t used it for myself yet. I think my time will be better managed if I do!!! Thanks for the reminder!

    Reply
    • FunCheapOrFree

      Ooh good call on using it to do homework and music!!

      Reply
  7. Gina

    Saturday mornings are usually my big cleaning days so I use a timer to make sure I don’t get worn out in one area. It can vary too – 10 min in the bathroom, 10 min picking up and sorting clothing, and 5 min vacuuming the living room. Just something that helps me know the end is in site and I wont have to do that one job forever, which is how it normally feels am i right?

    Reply
    • FunCheapOrFree

      I love the idea of using it to break up big jobs!!

      Reply
  8. Amy

    TUCK-IN TIME?!?! You are a genius!! Just last night my girls spent almost 2 hours doing the I need a drink… I need to potty… I need to tell you something…. I want another hug/kiss…. But I mean seriously how can you say no to a hug/kiss? Tuck in time will be great! They will both get their one on one time! After they finally went to sleep last night I hit Pinterest looking for something to help me. I didn’t find much, but I’m so glad I checked your blog today! You are great! Thanks for the tips!!!!!

    Reply
    • FunCheapOrFree

      Yay I’m so glad you like the idea! It’s a game-changer in our house, so I hope it works for you.

      Reply
  9. Rocky | SomethinOuttaNothin

    I love the idea for ending bed time. We do it to start because it helps our autistic son, but he’s fine at the end-never thought to implement it to end the night for our daughter. Great idea.

    I also use a timer for reading time. For every 10 minutes our daughter reads out loud to me she earns 10 minutes of TV time. It really helps kids know there’s a definitive end to activities and they don’t need to worry that mommy forgot. This has been a game changer at house this last week or so.

    Reply
    • FunCheapOrFree

      Great idea with the reading!! I’m going to use that for sure!

      Reply
  10. Shauna

    Loved this. I would much rather the timer be the bad guy than me.

    So, maybe I am the last to know, but I just asked my iphone to set a timer and Siri asked me for how long! Love it. And my toothbrush has a two minute timer that I use to tidy up my bathroom with my free hand while I brush my teeth.

    Reply
  11. Mckayla

    This is so great! I have the same issues at dinner time and bed time. I have 3 under 4, and this will make my life so much easier. Thanks for posting!!

    Reply
    • FunCheapOrFree

      3 under 4, we’re twiners! You don’t live in Utah, do you? We should have a play date if you do 😉

      Reply
  12. melanie

    I use a timer when my kids are in the shower! They will be in there for-e-ver if I don’t set the timer. Works great for us! 🙂

    Reply
    • FunCheapOrFree

      Great idea!!

      Reply
  13. Teri

    When my list for the day is super long, or both kids are at home and both want my undivided attention to play with them. We use a timer Mom gets 20 mins for baking, cooking, cleaning. Kid 1 gets 20 mins for play of their choice(barbies, ponies) kid 2 gets 20 mins for play of his choice. and we go around and around like that all day. I usually don’t feel like SUPER accomplished but at the end of the day everyone felt like they got a chance to do what they wanted to do and have a little bit of say in the activities. It cuts down on fighting, kids getting bored and intentionally wrecking others play and motivates them to share, think together and participate in each others interests. “timer days”, at the end of the day are always THE BEST DAY EVER MOM.

    Reply
  14. Laura

    These are great tips. Thanks for sharing. I do use the timer now to control screen time. I will be using it for cleaning up! Love it.

    Reply
  15. cecile

    Using the timer for making the kids eat their meal sounds like … hum a terrible idea to my ears :

    – In my opinion, as a parent, your duty is to provide healthy food and it’s up to the kid to decide how much of it he/she eats… I believe that it is important to always be aware of one’s feeling (feeling satiated or not) to get healthy eating habits. I thought that it was common sense that, there is only pressure to try one bit of something new :S
    – Why do you consider the dessert as a reward ? Either you consider it as something healthy and the kids get them. Or it is not healthy, and then there is no point in buying them and offering them to the kids. I mean daily !

    Yes, that is a bit black and white… But I am not sure how to explain this more clearly. I have witnessed parents pressuring their kids to finish their plate. I juste hate it :'(

    Reply
  16. Tracy

    The timer idea is a life saver! I have no little ones in the house any more but you’d be amazed how much of a mess 2 grown men can create in a days time. Alot of days I look at it and think ” it’s going to take me forever to get this back to normal…” But I take a deep breathe, set the timer for 15 minutes and take off. It never fails to surprise me how much I can actually do in a mere 15 minutes!

    Reply
  17. Syl

    Glad I found your blog, Jordan, and loads of good info! I’m going back through time, reading and enjoying!

    Timers are GREAT things… I use them all the time at home and at work, for all sorts of things! It’s fabulous and shifts the pressure off.

    However, like Cecile, I’d be weary of using a timer at meal times the way you do, but for a different reason altogether. 10 minutes is really not a lot of time for anyone to finish a meal, even a toddler, and encouraging to gobble up a meal can lead you to all sorts of trouble down the line with overeating simply because the digestive system simply hasn’t had time to signal the brain that it’s full.

    Yes you control their portion size… now… but when they hit the teenage years you won’t be able to do so anymore and by then it’s a learned behaviour. Countless medical studies have shown that overweight people tend to eat far faster than normal-sized people. I’m *not* saying that eating fast makes you fat, but that fat people, on average, eat too fast and as a result often overeat. The satiety hormone doesn’t hit the brain until it’s far too late and by then they’ve eaten too much. Do that too often over time and your stomach stretches, so it takes more to fill, which means more food is needed to trigger the release of the hormones, etc…. Vicious circle.

    Plus, shoving food down is really bad manners (as is dawdling forever over a meal for that matter).

    Yes, there are days you’ll need to get them to eat quickly for some reason or other, but it shouldn’t be the norm.

    Reply
    • FunCheapOrFree

      Amazing feedback, thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  18. Jennifer

    I love the idea of using a timer for cleaning. I’ve actually been doing this for a while, just without the rigidity of the timer, which I think would help. I’ll usually look at the clock when I’m not in the mood to clean and tell myself, “You just have to clean for 15 minutes. After you do that, you can sit down and read/watch tv/go to bed.” Usually, I end up cleaning for longer, because I get into it, but the finite time definitely helps me get started.

    Now, as for the timer at dinner, I completely disagree with this. First of all, I don’t believe making my children “clean their plates” is good for anyone in the family. It can promote overeating, it can make food feel like a punishment, and it doesn’t allow for children to form their own opinions about what to eat. We make our son try everything once, but we never force him to eat everything on his plate. He stops eating when he is done eating. If there’s a full plate left, we remind him that that’s all the dinner he gets, and he either tells us he’s done, or he sits down for a little more to eat. Some nights he barely eats anything, and others he asks for two more servings. Obesity is a huge (no pun intended) problem in the US, and “cleaning the plate” is one of the many contributors to that problem. Feeling free to leave food uneaten is an important part of learning to understand your own appetite. Adding a timer to that not only communicates that you shouldn’t pay attention to your own hunger cues, but also that you have to cram it into your food-hole as fast as you can. (It can take me upwards of half an hour to eat my full dinner, between the socializing that happens at dinner time, and toddlers take even longer.) At the same time, you don’t want dinner to be a fight, which I understand. But I just don’t think a timer and a plate-clearing requirement are the way to do that.

    Reply
    • FunCheapOrFree

      Great thoughts and feedback! I love seeing the different perspectives! Thanks for reading XOXO

      Reply
  19. Diane

    I am new to your site (known about it for awhile but recently got hooked on it) and have been reading my way through lots of your posts! I love this one. I set a timer sometimes but this is motivating me to use it more, especially for me. I, too, am amazed at just how quickly I can get something done in a short amount of time. One thing I’ve been doing lately when a daily task feels overwhelming or I just feel unmotivated to do it, is thinking in my mind, “ok, how long does it really take to do the dishes. it only takes 10-30 minutes depending on the meal so just get it done. You won’t regret it if you get it done but you will regret it if you don’t.” It helps me to move forward and do it even if I don’t feel like it. Knowing that it really doesn’t take that much time really helps! I also do things like trying to see how much I can get done while the toast is in the toaster or other things. I love a good challenge and its very motivating to me!

    Reply
  20. Mary Martin

    Hi, I work from home so I set a timer for my job and focus completely on work during that time. Once the timer goes off then I get up and take a break by cleaning something or getting a snack. I like what you said about stopping immediately when the timer goes off. I need to work on this! Thanks for a great article!

    Reply
  21. Jody Belknap

    I used a timer to speak with my manager when I needed his time which is very valuable. I crossed his door last week and said I only need 10 mins and he agreed. I kept to my 10 mins and was done while I kept my phone on my knee so it was out of his sight and clicked the timer which was on vibrate so I could feel not hear it when it went off.

    He was happy and I got the answers that I needed.

    Reply
  22. Linda

    Love using a timer. I race the timer. Accomplish so much.

    Reply
  23. Karen B

    I recently started using the timer for me time and for some chores. Works like a charm!

    Reply
  24. Tanya

    I’ve been using the timer for YEARS with all my kids!
    The biggest thing is of course follow through, if you ever give in and give more time when they ask then it won’t work ? when my daughter was little (pre-cell phone) if i didn’t have a timer at they playground all i had to say was “when the timer goes off we are going bye bye” and then just say “beep beep beep” when i was ready to go ? she never fussed even when other kids where kicking and screaming lol. With My 19 month old now we’ve begun using it for everything. At night i set the time and say, when the timer goes off it’s time for bed. When it goes off we all kiss goodnight and Daddy leaves the room. I turn off the light, sing him his lullybye and lay him down with no fuss. (Now keeping him asleep is the issue, although if we don’t go in he does go to sleep again). Time out…yep he sits like a quiet little guy in his time out chair until the timer goes off! Love it!

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