Have you ever finished a day feeling VERY tired… but still unsure what you actually moved forward?
Not because you didn’t work — you did. But because time disappeared into messages, little tasks, context switching, and “just one more thing.”
Here’s the pain point I keep seeing (and living more often than I wish):
When we don’t measure time, we can’t measure progress — and lead actions become vague.
And when lead actions are vague, motivation gets fragile.
Because it’s hard to stay consistent with something you can’t see.
The 12-Week shift I’m practicing right now
I’m in Week 4 of my personal 12-week sprint inspired by The 12 Week Year — and the idea I’m applying this week is simple:
Focus on lead actions more than results.
Results matter, yes. But results are often delayed.
Lead actions are what we can control today. For example:
writing for 1 🍅 (25 minutes)
movement for 2 🍅
pitching clients for x 🍅
practicing / learning a skill for 2 🍅
making progress on a project for x 🍅
The challenge isn’t usually choosing a goal. The challenge is making the lead action real, measurable, and repeatable.
Which brings us back to time.
Time is the most honest tracker
Here’s why I love measuring time:
Time doesn’t care about mood.
Time doesn’t argue with your brain.
Time isn’t impressed by intentions.
It simply asks:
Did you show up for the lead action — yes or no?
That’s why timers are one of my favorite tools for accountability.
Not as pressure — as clarity.
Because “I worked on it today” becomes:
“I did 3 🍅 on X.”
“I did 2 🍅 on Y.”
“I showed up for the lead action.”
And suddenly… progress becomes visible again.
Why Pomodoro works (when it becomes a ritual, not a punishment)
The Pomodoro technique is deceptively simple: 25 minutes focused work (🍅), then a 5-minute break. Repeat.
That 25-minute 🍅 is an atomic commitment:
for a small block of time, you do one thing, mindfully, and you finish the block.
You can adapt it however you like. For example, in my “golden morning hours” I often do:
🍅 + 🍅 (25+25) then a 5–10 minute break, or
4 🍅 then a longer break
But the real power isn’t the number. It’s the mindset:
“For this small block of time, I do one thing — and I finish the block.”
No multitasking.
No negotiations.
No “let me quickly check…”
Just: show up for the time you decided.
Pomodoro creates a container. And inside that container, you can do your best.
My personal trick: making time sensory
I’ve used timers for years, but one trick changed everything for me:
I started pairing Pomodoro with music.
Not just a countdown — a cue.
A sound that tells my brain:
“We’re entering focus mode now.”
When you repeat the same visual/auditory timer (like a YouTube video), your brain also learns subconscious cues — especially around the middle and the ending of a Pomodoro.
For months I used a timer video with a Tchaikovsky piece. One day I heard the music somewhere randomly, and my brain instantly went:
“Oh! We’re working.”
…and I even sped up — because it felt like I was “already halfway through my usual timer.” 😄
That’s when I knew: the timer wasn’t just tracking time.
It was training a habit.
This week’s freebie: the Pomodoro Playlist Prototype preview.
So here’s what I’m sharing with you as a freebie / preview this week:
A prototype playlist designed to help you fall in love with Pomodoro.
The idea is simple:
no more “I don’t have a timer” — you click and press play
you get a 25-minute focus timer
then a 5-minute break timer
with visuals + audio that support the mood (without stealing your attention)
It’s still an experiment — but it’s an experiment I’ve wanted to build for years.
And you’re getting the preview while it’s still unlisted.
This week’s two test timers
25-minute Lake Geneva focus timer (boat + jazzy vibe)
5-minute Frog break timer (yes, a frog 😄 — because breaks should feel like recovery, not punishment)
My hope is that this becomes a tool you can use when:
you feel scattered and want to enter focus mode
you don’t want to set timers manually
you need a gentle ritual for deep work
you want time-blocking without a boring phone alarm
Quick feedback (it’ll shape what I build next)
If you try the playlist, reply with a quick note on one (or more) of these:
Would you actually use a preset Pomodoro playlist like this? (still in progress!)
Do you want ready-made sequences (e.g., “low energy,” “deep work,” “study,” “tidy/reset”) — or separate playlists by timer length?
Do you prefer progress bar or numbers?
Would you rather see time left or time passing?
For breaks: nature, pets/animals, soft animation, or minimal abstract?
Music or original sounds?
(And yes — tell me if you want the progress bar horizontal or vertical. I’m nerdy enough to care.)
This week in the Show Up Productivity Hub Notes
All week I’ll share 3 small prompts per day to help you:
choose a lead action
measure it with time
build consistency without drama
show up ready for our Flown’s accountability appointments! (Matt’s at 7am CET, Raj’s at 11CET, and add yours in the comments, if you like to share😀)
Because you don’t need a perfect plan.
You need a repeatable way to show up.
And sometimes the simplest way is:
Set the timer. Do the thing. Stop when it ends. Repeat tomorrow.
This week’s themes are inspired by The 12 Week Year, Atomic Habits, and other “contaminations” from our toolkit.
I can’t wait to cheer you on — and I hope you’ll use this space for extra accountability: your findings, struggles, and wins are welcome here.
Stay productive — but even more important: stay happily creative.
See you in the Notes 💗
Madda
PS: This week I’m using photos I took at the Zooh Zürich for the lead-actions post. (Last week’s inspiration spot was the Sukkulenten-Sammlung Zürich). The illustrations with the “mottos” are mine and available in my Spoonflower shop as fabrics, home decor, and wallpapers, or on my website maddamom.com for mugs, notebooks and gift ideas.
