Set the timer to 69 seconds

How to use the online timer

A quick tidy-up sprint works best with a limit, and 69 seconds is long enough to clear a bench or a lounge room without turning into a full afternoon of cleaning. Set the timer, pick one space, and move fast because you know exactly when you get to stop. It's a decent trick for getting started on a job that felt too big before you broke it down like this.

Using it is as simple as it sounds: hit Start and the countdown takes over from there. Keep the browser tab open while it runs, since the timer only keeps counting while the page stays loaded, and pause or reset it any time if your plans change. When time's up, a sound plays to let you know, so you don't need to keep glancing at the screen.

Unlike a mechanical kitchen timer, this one doesn't need winding, batteries, or a spot on the bench where you'll remember to look at it. It sits in a browser tab, which means you can check it from your laptop, your phone, or any device with a browser without owning a gadget for it. Minimise the window and it keeps counting; just don't close the tab. Set a timer for 69 seconds, set the timer to 69 seconds, start a 69 seconds timer — it is the same countdown either way.