The Success Begins Today blog talks about a speech that was recently given at a National Speakers Association meeting.  Public relations expert Don Crowther told the audience that a magic formula for productivity is to work intensely for 48 minutes of every hour, and do whatever you want for the remaining 12 minutes.  Crowther actually says that you should set a timer for 48 minutes, and work continuously without stopping, closing out all distractions.  When the timer goes off, you can get up and stretch, get coffee, or use the restroom, before settling down to work again.

When I read this post, it occurred to me that I naturally work this way.  I dangle those free 10-12 minutes in each hour like a carrot, working furiously as I look forward to the time when I can stop, take a breath, and check my multiple e-mail accounts and my RSS reader.  While Crowther’s approach might not work for everyone, I think it’s critically important to have some kind of system that ensures that you’re productive during the day.  Otherwise, I can see how you could easily spend a substantial portion of every hour chatting with colleagues, tooling around on the Web, or shooting clever one-liners in IM. 

Lots of people are working from home these days, and I’m wondering if they find it easier or tougher to be efficient at their work.  Personally, I get more done in my home office, when I know I can stick to my own schedule without in-person interruptions that I can’t control.  Anyone have thoughts on this?