The Power of a Half Hour!

(Originally posted in 2018)

Do you sometimes crawl into bed at night wondering where the day went? Are you gripped with the feeling that you “got nothing done” or that you had no “time to yourself?” What I have come to realize is that often we are simply not “time-aware.”

Enter the “power 1/2 hour”

Here’s how it works.

I set a timer for half an hour when I’m doing projects, reading the paper, surfing the net etc.  The point of the timer is simply  to make me more aware of time.  For example, often I’ll feel like I “never have a moment” to relax and read the paper…nine times out of ten, that’s really not true.  Sitting down to read with the timer set for 30 minutes makes me realize that I did indeed have an entire half hour to myself..(maybe even an hour) and it just seems to register in my mind with more clarity.  The half hour of reading and relaxing becomes a memorable, distinct event..there’s a start and a finish; it’s a framed period of time that somehow has more “value.”

When I’m working on this blog I can really lose track of time..setting my timer for 30 minutes adds just the right touch of urgency and keeps me much more focused on what I’m doing. Using a timer encourages me to work at peak efficiency. If I give myself half an hour to clean the fridge, and set my timer, I just seem to work with an extra dose of motivation because heaven knows, I don’t want to spend more than half an hour on THAT job!

I love my 30 minute timer.  It makes me more mindful of the distinct chunks of free-time I have, gives me a sense of urgency and motivation to get jobs done AND helps me stay focused. It’s the perfect blend of time management and “time acknowledgement…” Give it a try!