If you’ve never heard of the Pomodoro Technique before, it has nothing to do with tomatoes and everything to do with mental focus. The Pomodoro Technique is a popular time management strategy created to save time and boost productivity through timed sessions of optimal focus.
You’ll want to try this technique out for yourself if you…
- Struggle with procrastination
- Get easily distracted
- Work past the point of prime produtivity
- Work well with gamified goal-setting
So, if the bullet points above describe you on an average workday, then keep on reading to learn about the power of the Pomodoro Technique!
What is the Pomodoro Technique?
So, I might have lied about the involvement of tomato and this time management strategy. The Pomodoro Technique gets its name from a tomato-shaped kitchen timer used by an Italian university student, Francesco Cirillo. (Pomodoro means tomato in Italian.) Cirillo used the timer to commit to ten minutes of intensely focused study after he struggled to stay focused before. Thus, the Pomodoro Technique was born!
How do I use the Pomodoro Technique?
One of the best parts about this technique is its simplicity. Here’s how to use the Pomodoro Technique step-by-step:
- Get your to-do list ready and grab a timer.
- Set your time for 25 minutes, and then focus on a single task until time is up.
- Mark off one Pomodoro, and write down what you completed.
- Take a five minute break.
- After four Pomodoros completed, you can enjoy a longer 15 to 30 minute break.
See? This technique is relatively easy, and you’ll find that it helps you break down large products into smaller tasks, combat distractions, and see how you spend your time. The Pomodoro Technique makes getting started way easier, and if you work well with rewards, the small breaks are great motivation to stay focused.
So give the Pomodoro Technique a try this week, and let me know if it helps you boost your productivity and stay focused!
