The Sustainably Creative tools: the kitchen timer

This is the second in a short series of posts looking at the tools I use to stay sustainably creative. You can read the rest of the posts in the series here

I love my kitchen timer. It helps me daily to chart a gentle but consistent path through my Important Work.

Inherited from my mother

I inherited the timer from my mother. In the last years of her life, when she was ill and had very little energy herself, she would use the timer to encourage her to do a few of the things she wanted to get done in her day. She would set the timer for 20 minutes and gently do some chores, the timer both keeper her focused on her task and making sure she didn’t work for longer than she was able.

Staying focused and within my energy limits

Now I use the timer in a similar way, sometimes to help me get through some chores, but more often to keep me focused on something that I think will move my Important Work on a small step whilst at the same time making sure I don’t use more energy than I have to spare.

An anti-procrastination tool

The timer is basically an anti-procrastination tool! People with low energy can procrastinate just like everyone else (we just have less energy to waste on it!). Time wasted on procrastination is time we can’t use for something more important so focus is vital.

A timer is a great aid to focus. Just for 20 minutes (less if it’s all we can manage).

Five reasons it’s worth getting a timer to help you stay sustainably creative

1. Setting a timer creates an intention to do something (an intension is the first step to making something happen).
2. Focus is much easier if we know it is only for a set (and short!) period of time.
3. Using a timer daily creates a sort of creative ritual, we begin to expect that we will do our creative work on a regular basis.
4. Setting the timer (especially if it is a fun timer like mine!) adds a sense of play to the process, and play makes doing the work easier.
5. A timer helps us keep our working time contained and protects us from over using our energy (if we get in the habit of working within our energy limits we stand a much better chance of being able be creative on a regular basis).

You can read more about how to maintain a sustainably creative life in my recently updated ebook, Sustainable Creativity.

The book has a suggested price of $15 but you’re welcome to pay how much or how little you would like. Just pop the amount in the price box at the checkout and click “update”