**I use an interval timer app** meant for HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) whenever I want to make progress on my to do list. I'm actually using it right now. **Here's a photo** I just took. ![[IMG_1902.jpg]] ## Why this is good This is my personal adaptation of the **Pomodoro method**, but it's really just **prescriptive timeboxing**. Here's why it's good: * For anything on the list, you **only have to be motivated for 5 minutes** at a time until you get to do something completely different afterwards. * Replaces the **anxiety of completing** tasks with the goal of **moving them forward** bit by bit. * Replaces the **effort of resisting** procrastination with **letting it through** and **regulating** how much air time it gets. * Balances **continuous** tasks like checking email and **one-off** tasks like sending one. ## How I do it ### Schedule and use the rest breaks. * When I first got this dialed in, it was **too successful**. I was being so productive and focused it generated **anxiety on the verge of being catatonic** at the end of the day. * When this works well, it can tax areas of the brain that should really be **modulated with periods of rest**. * For my rest break, I'll either just call it "Rest" or I'll schedule in my own wellness [[Bracelets]]. ![[IMG_1903.png|450]] ### 5 minutes at a time * This is probably too quick for most people but I like how it challenges me to break up tasks into extremely manageable pieces. ### Breadcrumbs * To pick up where I left off, I need a very easy way to leave myself notes without eating into those five minutes. > [!hide] > For this I use [[TALC]]. ### Bumps * Bumps are for tasks that just need a followup to make sure something happened. These should be tasks that don't require any time from you except to verify, at least in theory. If verification fails, they can become a task again. I use these a lot for delegated activities.