DianaHale

Time Management

The Miracle Morning For Writers by Hal Elrod, Steve Scott, and Honoree Corder

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Miracle Morning For WritersHave you ever had a strong desire to write a book, but just can’t find the time in your busy schedule? Then this book is for you!

I have been a fan of the Miracle Morning for years. Most people say that they don’t have time for meditation, visualization, affirmations, journaling, reading, or exercise. The Miracle Morning makes a convincing case for getting up early to do them.

The Miracle Morning For Writers is about scheduling time every day for your writing, and making it as important as your job. It is also about organizing your ideas, creating great content, and building your writer’s platform.

The truth is that most successful writers started by writing part-time, while working another job or caring for a family. They had to make the time to write and market their books.

John Grisham comes to mind. Like me, he went to law school to become a tax lawyer, and practiced law for many years. One day he was at the courthouse, when he overheard a 12-year-old girl telling the jury her story. Members of the jury cried as she told them about having been raped and beaten. John started to think about what would have happened if the girl’s father had murdered her assailants. It took him three years to write his first book, A Time to Kill, in his free time.

If you are serious about your writing, The Miracle Morning for Writers is one book you will want to add to your library. I really love this book and highly recommend it!

You can learn more about The Miracle Morning for Writers here.

Productivity Hack: The Pomodoro Technique

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PomodoroThe Pomodoro Technique is a time management technique that was named after the cute tomato-shaped kitchen timer.  “Pomodoro” is the Italian word for “tomato.”

It is simple.  When you have a large task to complete, you break it down into timed intervals (called “Pomodoros”), with short breaks between the intervals.

The technique trains your brain to focus intensely for short periods.  Over time it can actually improve your attention span and ability to concentrate.

How to do The Pomodoro Technique:

  1. Choose a task to be accomplished.
  2. Set your timer to 25 minutes.
  3. Work on the task until the timer rings, and check off the task.
  4. Take a 5-minute break
  5. After every four Pomodoros, take a 30-minute break.

Each Pomodoro is a unit of work. If you are distracted by a phone call, meeting, or emergency, you either end the Pomodoro, or postpone the distraction until the Pomodoro is complete.

If you can post-pone the interruption, try this strategy:

  1. Inform the distracting party that you are busy working on something.
  2. Negotiate a time when you can get back to the person about the issue.
  3. Schedule the follow-up time with them.
  4. Call the other party back when your Pomodoro is complete.

The technique is not rigid. If you are making headway when the timer goes off, it is fine to pause the timer, finish what you are doing, and then take your break.

The goal is to help you focus, while keeping in mind that regular breaks are important for your productivity.

You will be surprised by the amount of progress you can make by using this technique!

You can learn more about the Pomodoro Technique at the The Pomodoro Technique Blog

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