Time may not be the enemy.

Mary-Anne Murphy

One thing I often hear in my mahi is the phrase, “We don’t have enough time.”

I admit, I sometimes feel the same way. Just thinking about our workload can make our stomachs knot, our hearts race, and even trigger a flight, fight, or freeze response. We might do anything but the work at hand, leaving us with a perfectly tidy office and no actual work done. Or we might complain about how much we do compared to others or about the relentless flow of tasks from above, like a fire hydrant that won’t shut off. And sometimes, we just procrastinate… and do nothing at all.

Time is a tricky subject…

So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. As Michael Altschuler says, “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” I looked at how I was working and where I might be wasting time to see how much control I actually had over my time.

I started to notice when I got side-tracked by my phone, got caught in long-winded break conversations, started doing other tasks like reading emails without answering any, or got stuck in my own mind trying to figure out how to do something.

What I discovered, aside from some distractive tendencies, was that I could be spending my time more purposefully.

So, I researched methods to help me focus better. I came across the Pomodoro Technique. Here’s how it works:

[Reference: https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique]

I found that it’s amazing what can be achieved in 25 minutes! I can stay focused for that long, achieve a lot when I concentrate on one task at a time, and I feel energized.

I set a timer on my phone, then put it aside or in a drawer to avoid distractions. I don’t look at it until the timer goes off.

Even better, this technique can work for children, especially those who struggle with focus. You could try it at your next staff professional learning day or even with a class of students.

At the International Conference of Thinking in Melbourne, I heard neuroscientist Dr. Mark Williams discuss this. Listen to his podcast interview here to capture some of the gems he shared.

So, if you feel like time isn’t on your side, consider how you could use it more effectively. Maybe even give the Pomodoro Technique a whirl… you have nothing to lose by trying.