Hour Glass Scheduling

Hour Glass Scheduling works for me.

Years and years ago, back when I was young ( back in the 60’s ) a girlfriend I was dating gave me a real  one hour, hour glass. It was a gift I have always liked and it is one that looks nice as a display. I have gotten many comments on it ranging from “Dan’s old grade school clock” to “Did you get that in Oz? “

I have started using it as a timer on doing projects. I have a problem with getting too involved in a project and letting other stuff slide. What I have started to do is use the hour glass as a timer for projects. I will limit my job to one or two turns of the glass. 

If I put the glass where I can see it, the sight of the sand running out helps me keep on schedule. It is a double edged sword, for It makes me hurry if it is something I like and it is a quitting time for stuff I do not want to do. So far it is working great. I am getting more things accomplished.

By keeping a pen and paper with it, I can write down where I stopped on a project, or what is more common, what else I need to do.  I find I will put things off for that reason. When you clean, fix, or organize something you find other things that should have been done, have to be done, or need to be done. If I do not list them I just do not do them.

Boat projects are like that. I know that a simple 1 hour job will be a 3 or 4 hour job because you can not just fix the first without dealing with the others.

My hour glass looks well used. Over the years the finish on the wood became sticky in some spots. I have tried cleaning it, but it will not stay looking nice for long. Besides it has more character with the dirt and dust on it…   It makes it look older than it is. 8-)  

The glass lets me limit and schedule my time...It realty shows me time is running out.

What would make this timing device better is if it had a bell on it that would ring when the sand runs out. I need to brain storm that and figure something out, but I will give only one turn of the glass to ponder it.