But like all good procrastinators, at some point routine tasks of all sorts pile up. At this point I turn to the idea of a nested time-box, something I found on the All Japanese All-the-Time (AJATT) blog (which is now just a big advertisement . . . oh well, I still felt obligated to cite where I got the idea).
I made one additional tweak to the nested time box, and that is to make it a formal game. The rules are simple: 1.) write down my tasks, 2.) estimate how long those tasks should take 3.) set my longer timer (30 minutes, 45 minutes, an hour) and 4.) use another timer to see if I can make my time goals for the tasks. I have a video on the process:
I only bust out this routine when I am buried by a lot of little things, but when I do, I get amazing results, and have good fun while doing it.
Learn about other systems with a timer.
