Pomodoro technique

What is Pomodoro Technique?

The Pomodoro Technique is a time-management philosophy that aims to give the user maximum focus and creative freshness, enabling them to finish projects more quickly and with less mental exhaustion.

It is an easy process. You allocate time for each project throughout the day in little bursts and take breaks as needed. 25 minutes of labor are followed by a 5-minute rest.

A "pomodoro" is a 25-minute work block, so named after the Italian word for tomato. The method's name comes from Francesco Cirillo, who utilized a kitchen timer in the form of a tomato as his personal timer. You take a 15-20 minute break after four "pomodoros" (100 minutes of work time and 15 minutes of break time) have been completed.

You mark your progress with a "X" after each completed pomodoro and keep track of how many times throughout each 25-minute period you were tempted to delay or switch to working on anything else.

The technique steps

The original technique has six steps:

1. Decide on the task to be done.
2. Set the pomodoro timer (typically for 25 minutes).
3. Work on the task.
4. End work when the timer rings and take a short break (typically 5–10 minutes).
5. If you have finished fewer than three pomodoros, go back to Step 2 and repeat until you go through all three pomodoros.
6. After three pomodoros are done, take the fourth pomodoro and then take a long break (typically 20 to 30 minutes). Once the long break is finished, return to step 2.

You can also do it the canonical way:

1. Break down complex projects. If a task requires more than four pomodoros, it needs to be divided into smaller, actionable steps. Sticking to this rule will help ensure you make clear progress on your projects.
2. Small tasks go together. Any tasks that will take less than one Pomodoro should be combined with other simple tasks. For example, "write rent check," "set vet appointment," and "read Pomodoro article" could go together in one session.
3. Once a pomodoro is set, it must ring. The pomodoro is an indivisible unit of time and can not be broken, especially not to check incoming emails, team chats, or text messages. Any ideas, tasks, or requests that come up should be taken note of to come back to later. A digital task manager like Todoist is a great place for these, but pen and paper will do too.

Why is it useful?

The arbitrary silliness of using a tomato as a stand-in for units of time belies the Pomodoro Technique's serious effectiveness when it comes to helping people get things done.

The pomodoro approach urges you to do precisely that: break down your huge activities, projects, or ambitions into something you only have to perform for the next 25 minutes. It keeps you focused on the next task at hand rather than becoming overwhelmed by the vastness of what you're undertaking. Don't be concerned about the outcome; instead, take it one pomodoro at a time.

Reference

• Wikipedia Pomodoro_Technique Link.