Contest details at the end of this article.... keep reading, and good luck!
Pssst! Hey, can you keep a secret? Don’t tell Kevin, but I kind of didn’t start this review quite when I was supposed to. Okay, well actually, I left it until the last minute. I know I know, I shouldn’t have, but you know how things come up. Okay, well actually, nothing came up, but I did think about doing it earlier. Yeah, I had it planned out and everything. Okay, well actually…
At some point (or points) in our lives, there’s a few things that need to be done, that we dawdle at. We scramble around at the last second trying to complete the task, or we come up with some sort of excuse. Whether it be the imaginary dog eating homework, the over-exaggerated traffic jam or the timely computer crash. It’s time to stop wasting time and start making time. Stop procrastinating and start producing. Just10Minutes is designed to ensure your projects are completed, by setting work and break intervals until the task is done. We all know you’re checking out the CrackBerry blogs when you are supposed to be working anyway (caught you!), so why not check out Just10Minutes? Oh and Kevin? I was just kidding about dragging my feet, honest!
About Just10Minutes
Just10Minutes is brought to you by Ademendo Software. The company also developed the soothing multiple alarm application ZenMinder, which we reviewed last year. They also created the Don’t Be Bored! Application, which provides hours of entertainment with thousands of humorous images. Now that I think about it, Don’t Be Bored may actually cause you to procrastinate. It’s a good thing Ademendo came up with Just10Minutes. The application is available to BlackBerrys running OS 4.2 or higher. It’s currently in version 1.0.1.1 and requires 143KB of space.
The idea of Just10minutes is based on the (10+2)*5 procrastination hack. This idea was presented by Merlin Mann over at 43folders.com, back in 2005. Here’s how it works:
You have a work period of ten minutes, followed by a break period of two minutes. This 10 minute work period must be completely dedicated to a single project. That means focused, dedicated work, with no distractions (and no BlackBerry). After this time, your break period begins. At this point, you have free range; you can even play brickbreaker! Once the 2 minute break period is up, it’s back to work. This process is repeated for a total of five intervals. Your hour is done and so is your work. I definitely like the concept. How do you implement this on your BlackBerry? I’m glad you asked.
Main Menu
Just10Minutes uses this procrastination hack and incorporates it into a powerful To-Do list. If you wish, you can add a little organization to your task list by using categories. There are no categories initially included, so you have to create your own. When creating a new task, you can record the name of the task, set the assigned category, set the due date (if applicable) and any related notes. The main menu will display your tasks in two different ways, depending if you use categories or not. If you use categories, the main menu will display a type of menu tree, with the Categories list first and the associated tasks below. If no categories are created, you will just see a general list of tasks. You also have the option to sort the task by due date or category; thereby allowing you to quickly switch between views. You can also integrate the native BlackBerry task application as well.
Creating a Task
In the main menu, each task entry will display the name of the task, as well as the date/time of when it is due. You will also notice a small square box to the left of the task name. Once you complete a task, Just10Minutes will reflect this with a checkmark. You can then easily see your progress. With a large number of tasks to tackle, you may feel a bit overwhelmed and not know where to start. The application gives you the option to choose a task at random. Okay that’s enough procrastinating; let’s look at the task process.
Get to Work!
When a task has been selected, the screen switches to what looks like a countdown clock. Here you can view time ticking away, as well as the name and category of the task. At the bottom, you can choose to start working, edit the task or mark the task completed (note: after pressing Start Working, the same button switches to Take a Break.) As your work period ends, a pop up will indicate that it’s time to take a break. Depending on how you set up the application, you may hear a tone, a vibration, see the LED flash blue, or any combination of the three. The break period works exactly the same as your work period, including end of period notifications. If you complete the job, you can click on the Task Done button to leave the timer screen and mark the task as completed. For repetitive tasks, Just10Minutes is perfect as it allows for tasks to be reopened and reassigned from ‘completed’ to ‘in progress’. This saves time on having to enter in the same task over and over.
Settings Menu
If you are having trouble sticking to the 10 minute / 2 minute routine, Just10Minutes enables you to modify your work and break timers. Perhaps you enjoy using the Pomodoro technique. In a nutshell it’s a 25 minute work period followed by a 5 minute break. For more information, check out pomodorotechnique.com.
Conclusion
By using Just10minutes, you will keep your Boss, Teacher or anyone else happy. It’s a powerful way to get you out of the rut and onto the job at hand. With native task integration and multiple task organization, you will definitely keep on track. Just10Minutes offers a free trial period. If you want to buy it after you try it, you can pick it up for $3.99 from the CrackBerry App Store.
Contest:
We have 100 copies of Just10Minutes to give away. Just leave a comment on this post to enter. Contest ends this Sunday at Midnight PST, so don’t procrastinate. Please only leave one comment, multiple entries won’t count.
Pros
- Intrgrates with native task application
- Modify work and break timers
Cons
- no more excuses for slacking off
More Info
