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Black Sharpie

Silver Sharpie

* $5 Walgreens kitchen timer.
* set countdown for 8 minutes
* when it goes off, look at what you're doing
* is this what you're supposed to be doing? (a/k/a "Work")
* if you're off-task, refocus
* repeat, repeat

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Comments

Lalitree says:

Oh man. That would yield some embarrassing results for me, I'm afraid. Focussing seems to be a skill I've lost completely.
Posted 61 months ago. ( permalink )

monstro says:

jesus christ, man, i love ya, but i thought we were done with fordism. if i hit 8 minutes and i'm not doing what i was supposed to be doing, then clearly that's not what i'm really supposed to be doing.

what i'm really supposed to be doing is going to the bar. to the bar!
Posted 61 months ago. ( permalink )

Kathryn Yu says:

why 8 minutes and not 5, 10, or 15?
Posted 61 months ago. ( permalink )

merlinmann says:

Good question, K. Two things.

First, thanks to NPR and my inveterate clock watching, I'm way too tuned to ten and fifteen minute cycles. I have an uncanny awareness of what time it is most of the time--even as it slips away from me as I surf, read, or what have you. I needed a disruptive number that wouldn't let me just go, "Oh, I'll get back to work after the news update."

Second, I arbitrarily decided that eight minutes represented the nexus of the amount of annoyance I can tolerate and the amount of time I'm willing to have wasted without a reminder.

I think different people should try different times: 5 and 20 minute intervals both make sense depending on the work you do (and how quickly you find yourself getting derailed).
Posted 61 months ago. ( permalink )

kfan says:

man you are hardcore. i could not share a cubicle with you. you'd be all frowning as i posted to flickr for 8 minutes.
Posted 61 months ago. ( permalink )

jkottke says:

How many "i"s are there in "intervention"?
Posted 61 months ago. ( permalink )

merlinmann says:

All of them.
Posted 61 months ago. ( permalink )

Brian Sawyer says:

All right, M. Your eight minutes are up. Back to work. ;-)
Posted 61 months ago. ( permalink )

merlinmann says:

You're a harsh taskmaster, Brian.

:)
Posted 61 months ago. ( permalink )

Lis311 says:

Whoa.. this is totally something I would do lol.. Good job. Keep up the task-management!

*beep* Ahh, eight minutes... I'm off to class ;-)
Posted 61 months ago. ( permalink )

Mike Monteiro says:

Merlin, i want to make love to you SO bad. We can totally get it in that 8 minute window too.
Posted 61 months ago. ( permalink )

merlinmann says:

Totally, Mike.

Even gives us seven minutes to cuddle.
Posted 61 months ago. ( permalink )

aesop says:

What if I'm more than 8 minutes running/zombie shuffle/panicked hurtling away from what I'm supposed to be doing?

And what if you upped the ante with, y'know, a stinkbomb or something? You could sprint to the rescue just in time to defuse the calamity with only 007 seconds to go. Then, dust off the palms of your hands, resume your accustomed dapper countenance and continue saving the world.

All in a day's work.
Posted 61 months ago. ( permalink )

macfixer says:

PLEASE tell me that alarm isn't that loud! If I were your cubicle mate, you'd find your timer missing say, the first day after lunch!

:)

//k
Posted 61 months ago. ( permalink )

TheBrad says:

Back off, Mike. He's mine.

(OK, split the diff...4 minutes apiece?)
Posted 58 months ago. ( permalink )

العاب says:

nice shot and notice!
Posted 32 months ago. ( permalink )

rorymcmahon says:

I kept hitting the snooze button. :(
Posted 11 months ago. ( permalink )

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Taken on November 11, 2004
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Comments

Lalitree says:

monstro says:

Kathryn Yu says:

merlinmann says:

kfan says:

jkottke says:

merlinmann says:

Brian Sawyer says:

merlinmann says:

Lis311 says:

Mike Monteiro says:

merlinmann says:

aesop says:

macfixer says:

TheBrad says:

العاب says:

rorymcmahon says:

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