Why I’m sharing business tips

I’ve established my business as a consultant, speaker, facilitator and ICF coach over the last few years. There are so many products I wish I’d used from the very beginning. They would have saved me so much time and energy, in addition to boosting my productivity and streamlining the processes I use. In this Business Tips blog series, I’m going to share examples of helpful resources for other entrepreneurs who encounter similar challenges. All product opinions are my own; no-one is paying me to promote their product.

Today’s recommendation: Be Focused Pro - Focus Timer

Here’s the blurb from the app store:

“…lets you get things done by breaking up individual tasks among discrete intervals, separated by short breaks. It’s a surprisingly effective way to retain motivation and focus. Create tasks, configure breaks and track your progress throughout the day, week or custom period. Use either your iPhone, iPad or Mac – your devices always stay in sync.”

The problem it solved for me

I found that working on my own was becoming quite detrimental to my productivity, especially when I work from home. I started to use a time management method called the Pomodoro Technique . This uses a timer to break down tasks into 25-minute intervals, followed by a short break. However, having to constantly reset my iPhone timer became quite annoying, so I looked for an app to help out.

How I use it

I use two main functions on the app. The first is the timer, which can be set to your choice of time intervals. You can set sounds to indicate the end of the work interval and the end of each break. The breaks also give me a good opportunity to stretch and refocus my attention ready for the next section of work time.

The second function I use is the reports. This is so interesting as I’m able to see how many intervals of work I completed (you can set your target amount per day). The pie chart (not pictured) also shows a breakdown of how much time I’ve spent on each task, so I can check in on my productivity for a custom time period, whether that is one day, a week, one month or a year.

Benefits of using Be Focused Pro - Focus Timer

It’s been amazing in terms of keeping my focus and productivity on track for the last six months and using the timer is now firmly embedded in my daily routine. I like being able to tick tasks off as I complete them too. The pro version works brilliantly for me because it syncs with Focus Matrix, another productivity tool which I will share in my next business tips blog. However, there is a free version of Be Focused. I started by using the free version initially. If you just want the timer, then the free version works really well.