The best advice I ever received on managing my time was to break my day into 15 minute sections. 30/30 by Binary Hammer helps users do just by using a timer interface similar to apps such as Readtime.
30/30’s interface is simple. The home screen is a clock representing the total amount of time it should take you to complete a set a tasks, and those tasks are listed below it. There is a litany of gesture and swipe based controls for the app, but most people will be better off scrolling and tapping rather than trying to master the three-finger swipes and vertical-spreads proposed by the app’s tutorial. You can add as many tasks you like and set estimates for how long it should take you to complete each—or maybe just how much time you can afford to spend on a longer project during this session. Once your tasks are locked in, you tap go, and press that nose to the grindstone.
Setting mundane tasks such as reading chapters for class or finishing a blog post to a timer strips away that voice in the back our heads that tempts us with procrastination. By clearly stating how long you want to spend on a project and leaving that timekeeping to an independent source adds just enough pressure to stick to your schedule. The urge to say, “Thirty minutes is loads of time” is quickly broken during your first sessions with the app; if you dawdle, it throws off your entire schedule, animating the consequences of sluggish work ethic. 30/30’s distraction-free interface lends itself well to this no-nonsense approach.
