[QW7] Two words for ya: kitchen timer!

by | Jan 16, 2021

[ Quick Win posts – QWs – are brief items to help non-overwhelm your day. Enjoy! ]

 

 

Here’s a mini business tip to start off our new Quick Win year.

Enjoy.

[QW7] Two words for ya: kitchen timer!

This is one of those “Why didn’t I think of this?” no-brainers that hadn’t occurred to me. 

I ran into a non-tech buddy and grumbled:

“I missed a webinar because
my iPad wasn’t in my office. I didn’t
hear the meeting reminder.”

If you set timers on a mobile device, you’ve probably been in this situation.

You lay it down somewhere, and the alert chime does you no good.

My friend rolled her eyes ( just a teensy bit 🙂 ), looked at me, and asked:

“Do you have a kitchen timer you can keep in your office?”

Oh. Well. I do now.

It’s a tiny, flat, digital gadget that operates … seemingly forever … on a AAA battery.

It provides a 10-minute warning to 0:00, and the magnet on the back keeps it handy on a filing cabinet or other metallic surface (not on my computer, of course!).

Sometimes, the best solution is low-tech!

 


So, there we go! I hope you’ll have your own tiny not-so-tech helper soon.

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Thanks for stopping by.
I appreciate your time, and I’m here to help with your tech or text project,

Kathie
Kathie@KathieYork.com

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8 Comments

  1. Robyn Smith

    No matter how high-tech we get, the simple things are often the best solution.
    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Kathie York

      Yes, Robyn … and this little tool fits in a desk drawer. You don’t even have to hear the beep @ full voice :-).

      This was a good lesson in seeking input from people outside our areas of expertise.

      The non-tech came up with the solution.

      Thanks for spending part of your Saturday with me, K.

      Reply
  2. Norman Phelps

    My wife has probably four timers around the house that she uses all the time from watering the plants to waiting for the clothes to dry. I use one for timing my naps so I don’t sleep too long (retirement’s a drag 🙃). Thanks again for all you do, Kathie.

    Reply
    • Kathie York

      Norman,

      You’re welcome, and I’m glad you appreciate the posts.
      I love this part of my job.

      I’m in the same timer mode, now. They’re all over the place, and the one for the laundry room is nicer than those on the appliances. :->

      The naps ‘thing’ cracked me up. They are my one escape (less expensive than wine), but sometimes I … ahem … overdo on the nap part.

      Thanks for stopping by. Always good to see you in the Comments inbox, K.

      Reply
  3. Irene Boyer

    Hi, Kathie.

    I have another take on kitchen timers (mine’s an orange egg shape) and the working life. They are very handy for working in timed blocks if that’s your thing. I like working in blocks of about 20-30 minutes. Helps my productivity and minimizes boredom when that’s an issue. Whole articles are written about the topic, and there’s an app for that (Pomodoro). I prefer the low-tech timer for writing/editing work since I prefer hard copy. And, yes, I keep the noisy bugger in a drawer for volume control.

    Reply
    • Kathie York

      Irene,

      Yayyyyy, Pomodoros!

      I’ve never been quite that disciplined, but I need to start doing this.
      Once I get working I forget to take breaks, and that isn’t a good thing brain- or body-wise.

      [ Readers: Pomodoro = a method of setting a particular amount of time – usually 15-30 minutes – to work with no distractions. You then take a five-minute break and start your next work spurt. You notice Irene has a specific amount of time indicated. This means she can set up her day as so many pomodoros. X project might take 4 pomodoros, etc. I’ve heard the word comes from the shape of the first kitchen timers: tomato-shaped (my Gramma had one of those). Not sure if timers originated in Italy, but ‘pomodoro’ is Italian for ‘tomato.’ Ahhhh, I am just FULL of fascinating tidbits of information 🙂 ]

      And, oh yeah, Irene, on the noise control. It can be startling when a timer gets to zero! Tucking that little helper in a drawer is a good idea.

      Thanks for stopping by and for the info. I really *do* need to start the pomodoro ‘thing’ and I’m glad you brought it to mind.

      I appreciate your time,

      Kathie

      Reply
  4. Shawn Huddy

    THIS is a great idea. Even though I wear hearing aids – I could hear the ding of a kitchen timer!! Thanks for sharing, Kathie!!

    Reply
    • Kathie York

      Shawn,

      Thanks, Shawn … and I know, right?!?

      I’m tickled so many people here like this idea.

      It was a ‘light bulb’ moment of non-tech in my high-tech world.

      Thanks for stopping by and sharing, K.

      Reply

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Kathie York, CSQE
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