![]() In a perfect world, I’d have eight high-value tasks identified at the start of each workday. The Pomodoro Technique was great, but something was missing to make it really work for me. I realized I had to step back and rethink my week, paying attention to my moods. I’d fall behind, and next day I’d try to cram in 14, leaving me exhausted and not very happy with the quality of my work. However, when I had too much going on, or felt physically or mentally off, I couldn’t fit in eight Pomodoros. This averages out to about 16.7 hours of work each week. ![]() The math was straightforward: 40 Pomodoros = 1,000 minutes of work (plus 350 minutes of breaks) each week. It became clear that 40 was my magic weekly number, but I needed to be less rigid with how I approached my work-week. Some days I had so many meetings to attend, or my daughter had a recital at school which I didn’t want to miss, and I just couldn’t find fit in eight Pomodoros. This worked, sort of, but as they say, life happens. My goal was eight Pomodoros each weekday, for a total of 40 per week. I began experimenting with smaller numbers of Pomodoros, starting with five per day, gradually working my way up to eight. What I found was that I got things done, but my productivity simply couldn’t compare to when it all clicked with the Pomodoros. I gritted my teeth and kept doing things my old way for a few more days. I was unfocused, unproductive, and frustrated. One day, I just ignored the system altogether and went back to multitasking. Other days, I did too little or too much, felt like crap and was convinced this was the dumbest system in the world. When it worked, I got a ton of stuff done and felt amazingly productive. Over the following days, I tried cutting back on my target number. I got a ton done, but still felt like a failure because I fell short of my goal. I was used to working so much, that less than seven hours of work seemed like nothing. Like most things in my life, I learned through experimentation, experiencing a lot of pain and frustration but ultimately growth.Īt first, I thought I could do 16 Pomodoros each day, no problem. ![]() Here’s what I used:Ģ) Airplane mode (the most important function on any mobile phone!) ģ) A quiet place to work and/or a good pair of headphones or earplugs Ĥ) Pen and paper (for those Pomodoro checkmarks) ĥ) Five minutes each morning to plan out the day’s tasks andĦ) 30 minutes at the end of each week to review the past week and plan for the next. Nothing! No distractions allowed!įor me, this took some getting used to, and required some tools and hacks. Now, you’re probably thinking “ Twenty five minutes of work? That’s nothing! This is gonna be easy!” Not so fast… That’s 25 minutes of steady, focused work on ONE task. “ All this is great,” you may think, “ but what do I actually do?” It’s Simple:ģ) Work on your task until the timer rings, then put a checkmark on a tracker Ĥ) Take a five minute break (you just completed your first Pomodoro!) thenĥ) Repeat steps 1-4 three more times, followed by a 15 minute break. As a Pomodoro Master, you create an effective timetable and achieve your high-priority tasks, so you truly enjoy your time off. If we haven’t had a productive day, we can’t seem to enjoy our free time. Create a better work/life balance: Most of us are far too intimately acquainted with the guilt that comes from procrastination. The Pomodoro Technique helps you log your distractions, and prioritize them for later.Ĥ. Manage distractions: Phone calls, emails, Facebook messages, or suddenly realizing you need to change the oil in your car – distractions constantly bombard us. It’s impossible to overwork when you stick to the system.ģ. Eliminate burnout: Taking short, scheduled breaks while working eliminates the “running on fumes” feeling you get when you push yourself too hard. The Pomodoro Technique teaches us to work with time, instead of struggling against it.Ģ. We race the clock to finish assignments and meet deadlines. Work with time, not against it: Many of us live as if time is our enemy. The Pomodoro Technique can be broken down into the following four basic principles.ġ. This revolutionary time management system is deceptively simple to learn, but life-changing when applied correctly. I read the 2006 paper written by its creator, Francesco Cirilio, which explained the technique and as importantly, the psychology behind it. It seemed too simplistic, but as they say, the simplest things often work best. Over the years I‘d heard about a time management system called the Pomodoro Technique. Slowly but surely, I developed a formula that would forever change how I work. I took those parts that worked for me, and combined them into my own system. Then, I noticed that several different solutions each had a piece of the puzzle. Some worked partially, but clearly weren’t for me. Then, I took the things that made the most sense to me, and implemented them.
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