Whenever I do something repeatedly, I look for ways to do it more efficiently.
It’s a great habit until it’s not.
Not everything needs to be made more efficient.
I don’t aim to make each step more efficient when taking a walk. It will take the joy away from the walk.
(that may be a half-truth; I do think about how much I swing my long arms…)
Timeboxing helps with tedious work.
It’s a subtle game; get done in 25 minutes.
Specifically, the Pomodoro technique.
The “ticking” gets through hardest part.
Starting.
Once going, it’s easy to keep going.
I often need to remind myself to stop.
Even more often, I work past the timer as it ends or forget it’s there.
The start of the timebox is the most effective part.
Think of it this way: 80% of the hard part is starting, and all you need to do is start and stare at a timer.