Today, I headed to the coffee shop, ordering a cup of coconut matcha with a huge amount of tasks and projects I need to attend to. It’s easy to be busy without getting anything meaningful done. My first priority is to break down all the tasks I need to do into smaller chunks, with each chunk taking around 15 minutes to complete. After the list is complete, I set my desktop timer for 15 minutes, keeping it always on top in the corner of my screen while I tackle the task. It helps me focus on the task at hand, working on one task at a time, and also helps me keep track of how much time I’m spending on each task. After each 15 minutes, I reset it and move on to another task or continue if I haven’t finished.

I ended up having four hours of deep work. If you’re having trouble staying focused or have a lot to get done but aren’t sure where to start, I encourage you to try the “15-minute timer” method.