Before You Buy Another Productivity Tool, Consider Your Microwave
Whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed by all of the tasks on my to-do list, I march over to the microwave and set its timer for five minutes. Then I just start dealing with whatever is top of mind or immediately in front of me: dirty dishes in the sink, an email I’ve been meaning to reply to, and so on.
It’s fine if that one thing doesn’t take exactly five minutes, or if it’s not the single most crucial thing on my proverbial plate. It’s also fine if I keep resetting the timer in five-minute increments to keep myself going. The important part is that I’m unsticking myself from my procrastination and decision paralysis and getting the ball rolling. An object in motion tends to stay in motion, which means that, in time, I’m more likely to get around to everything that warrants my attention.
The other important part, I’ve learned, is that in doing so I’m not relying on my phone or laptop for help.
The microwave’s alarm is loud and annoying enough that I can’t ignore it. I have to physically move across a room or two to turn it off. It isn’t sitting right there in my pocket, easily silenced and therefore largely ineffective. It also doesn’t tempt me to avoid my obligations by falling down a YouTube rabbit hole.
Am I alone in my preference for an old-fashioned fix for the modern-day dilemmas of cognitive overload and mental clutter? Hardly. When I polled my Wirecutter colleagues about the unconventional ways they boost their moods and manage their productivity, the makeshift methods they recommended, with great enthusiasm, were almost all analog ones: Writing things down by hand. Turning an everyday object into a special talisman. Finding an IRL activity that helps you focus.
The science concerning this is even clearer. When you want to simultaneously increase your productivity and your sanity, a tech-centric strategy probably isn’t the answer. In fact, there’s a good chance it may just make things worse.
“There’s good research showing that some analog tools — like writing by hand or using a paper planner — can be more effective than digital tools in certain situations, especially for focus and memory,” Sarah Pressman, a professor of psychological science at the University of California Irvine, said in a phone interview. “When you pick up your phone to check your calendar or a productivity app, you’re also opening the door to a flood of distractions — texts, social media, emails — which can quickly derail your attention and mental energy.”
Another issue with tech-driven options is precisely the fact that they solve your problems for you. “We sometimes prefer effort over ease and convenience [because] people often derive meaning and satisfaction from investing effort,” Ximena Garcia-Rada, an assistant professor of marketing at Texas A&M University, said in an email interview. “Despite our heavy reliance on digital devices … I think these analog strategies work not in spite of the effort they require, but because of it.”
Still skeptical? Here are just a few of the kooky ways that we at Wirecutter take control of our to-do lists and manage our workflows when the going gets tough — and why experts say that, when you’re feeling stuck, they really are the way to get going.
