Author: Juli Shulem
Do you get easily distracted when you should be working on a task? Work/Break Block System (WBBS) – The Productivity Secret You Will Love! Do you find yourself taking breaks more frequently than you know you should? Do you sometimes spend too much time working on a task and then get totally burned out before […]
Do you get easily distracted when you should be working on a task? Work/Break Block System (WBBS) – The Productivity Secret You Will Love!
Do you find yourself taking breaks more frequently than you know you should?
Do you sometimes spend too much time working on a task and then get totally burned out before finishing it?
I decided that it was high time I shared one of my ‘coaching secrets’ with all my subscribers and contacts: “The Shulem Work/Break Block System” or “WBBS” for short.
I created this concept almost two decades ago and hundreds of my clients have used it to become more productive. This was long before I had ever heard of ‘The Pomodoro Technique’ and his idea! My Work/Break Block system takes that idea a couple of steps further. Here is how it works.
STEPS:
Everyone has a different amount of time that they can sustain an activity: Your Threshold. This means you don’t stop to respond to a text, check social media, get a drink, or get lost in thought. You are able to stay ‘on task’ fully and get something useful done. YOUR threshold is the amount of time you can consistently sustain an activity without needing or taking a break of any sort. Keep in mind — that amount of time often changes depending upon the kind of activity it is. You might find that you can read a report for 30 minutes, but you can work on finances for 45 minutes. That’s okay with my system. This simply means that your threshold is different for different types of mental activity – and knowing this is super helpful. Take time over the next few days to be aware of how long you notice you are able to sustain an activity. Make a note of this.
Let’s say your threshold is 40 minutes — THAT is your WORK block time allotment. Next figure 15% of that time (40×15%=6) – which is 6 minutes and that is your BREAK block of time. So; your personal WBBS formula is 40/6 for that kind of activity. You can calculate your WBBS formula for various activities and use them when you wish.
During the time allotments that you concluded you will take care of the myriad tasks on your list, set the timer for the 40 minutes and get to work. You’ve got this!
Here is the secret sauce to this process: When the timer goes off – you MUST take the break. Set your timer for the 6 minutes and take the break. Your brain will get used to the idea that you will reward it with a guaranteed break if you make use of the WORK block of time first.
This has several psychological effects: a) You are working with a time frame that is utilizing your personal threshold, not some random amount of time which makes it more likely you can finish the time blocks. B) you are promising yourself a break – in which you will have time to respond to a call or text, get a snack, check emails, let your mind wander, etc. which reduces stress, and c) you will not get ‘stuck’ in either time block because using a timer will signify that you are done with each block when it is time to move onto the next block of time.
Contact Us at WeSpeak Global and follow us on Twitter
Author Profile
Video
The articles, video and images embedded on these pages are from various speakers and talent.
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.
The Dos and Don’ts of Handling Courageous Conversations at work or in your personal life that needs to happen that you keep putting off? We all face difficult conversations that need to be handled, but we all dread them. We can call these ‘Courageous Conversations’ because they oftentimes require so much courage to handle. In […]
The Best Employees are the Ones Who Understand the Bigger Picture We often talk about the best leadership qualities, but we should be talking about the best qualities of an employee. The best employees are the ones that know their efforts contribute to something bigger than themselves. They see how their work has an […]
Successful women in leadership roles manage their Personal Branding Benefits on a daily basis; and they started focusing on creating theirs early-on in their careers. Why do they focus on Personal Branding? And why has it become such a hot topic in the workforce today? Smart women in business understand the basic concept that every […]
You CAN Make Meetings Productive with most meetings occurring online, I’m hearing about the frustrations of time wasted during meetings from leaders and teams’ members alike. Meetings are running overtime. The structure is lost. People can’t make it to their meetings on time – even virtually! Some people talk too much while others never utter […]
Rebel technologists thrive when a couple of key environmental factors are in place The first thing is budget. Making sure that you can find the necessary budget to be able to instil these changes is an ideal starting point. If you aren’t working towards some kind of return on investment, somewhere along the line, why should […]
I was concerned about working virtually and leading through adversity so In March 2020, when the world shut down and my live event calendar was wiped clean As my speaking business went online, I wondered if it would survive the transformation. Would I still have an impact? Would I still matter? I’m sure you […]
I may sound arrogant but since everything turned upside down in early 2020 I’ve learnt so much more about who and what I am and WHY I’M BETTER THAN YOU, so I’ve decided to be more honest with myself, as well as with those around me. Everything has changed, there’s no doubt about that, and […]
As a seasoned frontline journalist and broadcaster, Mandy Wiener has a unique perspective on current affairs and A Country Worth Fighting For on how history unfolds in South Africa. Mandy has had a front row seat to the nine wasted years, the anatomy of the state capture project, the evisceration of state owned entities […]
Our Mission
© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME
