The secret to be more productive with your time is… you guessed it, time management!
But time management is such a fancy term with a broad meaning, but let’s start one step at a time with the Pomodoro Technique.
Pomodoro is Italian for tomato 🍅 and I ❤️ 🍅🍅 :). The Pomodoro Technique was developed in the late 1980s by someone who was struggling to focus on his work (more details here). So can we say that in order to be more productive, we need more tomatoes? Well, yes, sort of.
Pomodoro is a time management technique which helps if you:
are distracted by little interruptions which delay your work throughout the day
have open-ended work (such as learning a given subject, performing research etc.) which could take a longer/undefined time to finish
are constantly behind with your work
tend to be optimistic with how long it takes you to finish various tasks
Pomodoro technique is painfully simple. Simple things just work. Basically it’s just a timer. Here’s how to put it to good use:
Start with defining your to do list
Get a timer (phone, browser, app, physical). I use this one
Set your timer to 25 minutes and FOCUS ON A SINGLE task until the timer rings. No cheating. By focus, I mean: no email, no facebook, no phone, no other tasks. 1 task, your full attention for 25 minutes.
After a 25 minute session, mark off one Pomodoro and make a note on your progress
Take a 5 minute break. Really, it’s important to NOT continue with your task at this point. Do something else (check mail, go grab some tea, make some phone calls etc.)
Repeat
Note: after 4 Pomodoro sessions, take a longer break and enjoy 15-30 minutes off.
This is basically it! By following these rules, you will be more productive because:
it makes it easier to get started and avoid procrastination on working on something
it helps you focus on the task at hand
it makes you aware on how you spend your time
it helps you in providing better estimates for future similar tasks
fatigue sets in at a slower rate due to the regular short breaks, so you can go on for longer
Overall: it increases your productivity.
Checkout this complementary video as well.
Check how many Pomodoros you can achieve in a day (no cheating!). Share your Pomodoro achievement in the comment section below.
P.S.: this article took me 1 Pomodoro to write!
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