Techniques for Time Management: The Action Machine
Does this sound familiar? You sit down at your desk to write your report but you find yourself checking your e-mail. Maybe, if you are like most people, you end up on Facebook. Time Management was of my biggest weaknesses especially while studying for my masters.
The problem I came up against was that of procrastination. I knew if I was to continue my studies I would have worked out a technique for managing my time. I always felt it was a form of self-sabotage. The fear of failure or success can be quite daunting. Perhaps you can relate.
It comes down to 2 main factors: a lack of focus and a lack of motivation. A lack of focus can come from confusion – not knowing where to begin, not knowing where to
finish and giving up too soon. If your mind is confused your motivation is limited.
But I found a solution.
A method known as time boxing.
To be brief, time boxing is the process of assigning tasks into segmented pieces of time. An example of this would be to give 15 min block to an activity
such as writing and so on. I was soon scheduling a variety of tasks and using an online stopwatch to keep the momentum up. All this worked great for a while, I
soon lost track of all the hours I put in. Short of logging all my activities on a notepad there was no way to measure the results.
Then I had an epiphany.
What if I could automate the task using software?
In my search for answers, I stumbled across a neat program called The Action
Machine.
http://tinyurl.com/ActionMachineSuccess
The Action Machine takes the term “time boxing”and visually represents it in a sleek user interface. The program itself allows you to preload a grid of boxes
with its own timer that is, not only a countdown, but also a tracking tool. In other words, in track your results by generating a report for the week. This is
a great way to see where your time has one and how productive you have been.
For me personally, the night before, I like to think on the tasks that I am going to do and slot them into the action machine. You can literally have your
day planned in one fell swoop. From there, I am able to spend the day firing off the actions while at the computer.
Unfortunately, this method will not work well for those with physical hands on tasks. It works best for office people and those who are doing computer-based
activities. Some of the pre-populated examples include cleaning and organise your kitchen, however, I do not see the computer as part of that activity.
Perhaps this would be a great app for an iPad though. This may not be the best program for the spontaneous. It requires commitment and at least 60 seconds to
slot in your timers. It also requires the ability to follow through and do so on a consistent basis.
On the other hand, if you are an organised person who likes order over chaos then this program is for you. Here are a few of the benefits you will enjoy:
Test Drive the Boxing Technique
If you are unsure whether time boxing is for you, here is a short activity that you can do without having to invest in The Action Machine.
Naturally, this manual method may take a bit more work but it is a great way to see some results and gain focus. Just be sure to add up your time for the day
so you can see how productive you have been. So when you are ready, I invite you to check out the action machine and see the results for yourself by clicking on
the link below.
http://tinyurl.com/ActionMachineSuccess
The problem I came up against was that of procrastination. I knew if I was to continue my studies I would have worked out a technique for managing my time. I always felt it was a form of self-sabotage. The fear of failure or success can be quite daunting. Perhaps you can relate.
It comes down to 2 main factors: a lack of focus and a lack of motivation. A lack of focus can come from confusion – not knowing where to begin, not knowing where to
finish and giving up too soon. If your mind is confused your motivation is limited.
But I found a solution.
A method known as time boxing.
To be brief, time boxing is the process of assigning tasks into segmented pieces of time. An example of this would be to give 15 min block to an activity
such as writing and so on. I was soon scheduling a variety of tasks and using an online stopwatch to keep the momentum up. All this worked great for a while, I
soon lost track of all the hours I put in. Short of logging all my activities on a notepad there was no way to measure the results.
Then I had an epiphany.
What if I could automate the task using software?
In my search for answers, I stumbled across a neat program called The Action
Machine.
http://tinyurl.com/ActionMachineSuccess
The Action Machine takes the term “time boxing”and visually represents it in a sleek user interface. The program itself allows you to preload a grid of boxes
with its own timer that is, not only a countdown, but also a tracking tool. In other words, in track your results by generating a report for the week. This is
a great way to see where your time has one and how productive you have been.
For me personally, the night before, I like to think on the tasks that I am going to do and slot them into the action machine. You can literally have your
day planned in one fell swoop. From there, I am able to spend the day firing off the actions while at the computer.
Unfortunately, this method will not work well for those with physical hands on tasks. It works best for office people and those who are doing computer-based
activities. Some of the pre-populated examples include cleaning and organise your kitchen, however, I do not see the computer as part of that activity.
Perhaps this would be a great app for an iPad though. This may not be the best program for the spontaneous. It requires commitment and at least 60 seconds to
slot in your timers. It also requires the ability to follow through and do so on a consistent basis.
On the other hand, if you are an organised person who likes order over chaos then this program is for you. Here are a few of the benefits you will enjoy:
- Feeling a sense of accomplishment as you complete tasks and see them in the
report - Having the ability to add extra time to your activities before they have
finished - Experiencing a clean and enjoyable user interface
Test Drive the Boxing Technique
If you are unsure whether time boxing is for you, here is a short activity that you can do without having to invest in The Action Machine.
- In the morning or the night before write down a list of things you would like
to achieve. For the purpose of this activity, and the limitations of doing it on
paper, I would suggest choosing between 3 to 6 things. - Assign a maximum amount of time to each e.g. 15 min of allowance to check
your e-mail. - Grab a timer from online stopwatch
- Set the timer for a block of time whether it be the full 15 min for your
e-mails, 5 mins or 30 min to write a resume - Do it! As the stopwatch is counting down concentrate only on the activity at
hand. Do not deviate but rather focus. - Once the timer has finished stop.
- Use a notepad and record that time against the activity
Naturally, this manual method may take a bit more work but it is a great way to see some results and gain focus. Just be sure to add up your time for the day
so you can see how productive you have been. So when you are ready, I invite you to check out the action machine and see the results for yourself by clicking on
the link below.
http://tinyurl.com/ActionMachineSuccess