The Pomodoro technique is a time management method for boosting productivity. All you need for this elegant little technique is a timer! If you use this technique for a while, you will notice that your productivity increases, you stay focus for a longer period, and you get more things done at the end of a day. All of these good benefits come without overburdening yourself.
The Pomodoro is Italian for tomato and was invented by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s. He chose this name because he was using a tomato-shaped clock for tracking time. No other secret behind tomato. So, let’s dive into the practical parts,
What is the Pomodoro technique and how does it improve productivity?
Plus, extra tips on how to make this method more useful for you!
Let’s begin!
The Pomodoro technique in a nutshell
The technique is very simple.
- Step 1: Write down the task that you want to accomplish.
- Step 2: Set a timer for 25 minutes.
- Step 3: Focus on your task during the full 25 minutes.
- Step 4: Take a 5 minutes break when the timer goes off.
That was one Pomodoro. Easy, huh?
Then, all you need to do is to repeat the above steps and do more Pomodoros until you finish your task.
If your task needs more than 4 Pomodoros, then take a longer break after the 4th one.
The Pomodoro technique boosts your productivity
By setting the timer at the beginning of your work, you are telling your brain that all it needs to do is to focus on the task for only 25 minutes. That cannot be too hard. Working for such a short time seems achievable to the brain, which means it resists less and gets the job done.
It is crucial to reward yourself with 5 minutes of relaxation time after your hard work. If you keep your promise in the end, your brain trusts you the next time, looks forward to the 5 minutes break, and stays focused more easily during the focus period.
To get most of the Pomodoro technique, make sure to follow these rules:
- Rule 1: let no interruptions during the focus time (Fully devote to your work)
- Rule 2: reward yourself with a short break after each focus period (no work-related thing! not at all!)
At the end of your first Pomodoro, you might be tempted to extend your focus time without a break. Your energy is still at its peak, and the initial progress makes you excited to continue. But DON’T DO IT! Your goal is to win the marathon, not the sprint. Extending the focus time drains your battery faster, and you should not be surprised to find yourself browsing Youtube after 2 hours. So stick to your plan and show your brain that you are trustworthy
Effective types of break
The way you spend your break time has a significant impact on your productivity. If you open up your Instagram, you likely stay there for longer than 5 minutes without noticing it. Also, your mind moves away from your primary task which makes it harder to focus after you are back to work. Instead, try to stay away from technology and do something that calms your mind like patting your cat, going for a quick walk around the house, or making a cup of coffee.
Extra tips to make the Pomodoro more useful
You can change the duration of the Pomodoro
As I said, show your brain credibility by giving it the break that you promised. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t change the duration of your Pomodoro. For example, I noticed that 50 minutes of focus time works best for me when I try to do computer programming, while 25 minutes Pomodoro is great for writing. Decide on the duration of your Pomodoro in advance and stick to it. But don’t go beyond 50 minutes, or it won’t be effective anymore.
Create a visualized method for tracking your Pomodoros
Write down your tasks on your planner or journal. Then put in front of each task your time estimation for completing it. If the task is part of a larger project that you cannot finish in one day, put your target number of Pomodoros for that task.
Don’t worry about your estimations! After getting more comfortable with this technique, you automatically start to estimate a new task in Pomodoros: “Today, I am going to clean the garage, which takes around 3 Pomodoros.”
Then put squares or circles in front of the task to track the time spend on getting it done. Each circle or square shows units of Pomodoros. When you do one round, check a square off. This helps you see your progress visually and get motivated even more.
Assigning your tasks to Pomodoros
Combine small tasks
As I explained earlier, you can complete a large task in a few Pomodoros. You can also do the opposite with small tasks by combining them into 1 Pomodoro. For example, writing an email to your collaborators, making an agenda for the upcoming meeting, and paying electricity bills can be done in 1 Pomodoro.
Break large tasks
Our time estimation for completing a large task is mostly off. That’s why we still ended up running behind the schedule even with all the plannings in place. Good practice in these situations is to break tasks into smaller pieces and estimate the duration of each separately.
the bottom line
The Pomodoro technique is great for boosting your productivity only if you follow the two rules: no interruption in focus mode, and taking a break at the end. Practice make better (not perfect, but better! we don’t strive for perfect 😉 ), so do your best and never be discouraged.
