Find Your Focus: The Pomodoro Technique
In today's 'Find Your Focus' call, we discussed a productivity method called The Pomodoro Technique. It was started by a guy named Francesco Cirillo who named it the Pomodoro Technique after a tomato-shaped timer he used in college to keep himself focused as he studied.
The concept is to increase productivity by dividing your workday into highly focused chunks (separated by short breaks). Here is how it works:
Before starting, create a list of all the things you need to accomplish. Prioritize this list based on urgency.
Set a timer for 25 minutes and start working on the first thing on your list.
Try and limit distractions. Turn off slack, move your phone to a different room, etc. (Make sure you can still hear your 25 minute timer!) If a distraction arises, write it down and go back to it later. Keep working and stay focused for 25 minutes.
When the timer rings, you have finished a pomodoro. Congratulations! Take a 5-minute break. Use these 5 minutes to leave your workspace -- refill water, listen to music, stretch, get back to a coworker, etc.
After the 5 minute break, start another pomodoro. Once you have finished four pomodoros, take a 20 to 30 minute break.
Repeat this cycle until all of your tasks are done or the workday is over.
Why it Works
25 minutes - no sweat! — The hardest part of getting started is actually starting. 25 minutes is manageable. You can build momentum with just 25 minutes of focused work.
Accountability Increases — You can actually see how much you're accomplishing. And where your distractions come from.
Understanding of Time Management — Do you under or over estimate your time management? If so, when you complete a task and associate it with one (or more) pomodoro, you can actually understand how long it takes. The monthly board deck might take you 6 pomodoros (when you actually thought it would take 2). Conversely, you may overestimate time and never start specific tasks because it feels so daunting. The Pomodoro Method helps us schedule our day better based on how much time we have.
Built-in Reward System — Knowing you get to take a 5 minute break is a mental reward.
Motivation Bursts — As you get to the end of a pomodoro, you may get a burst of motivation to finish. (Or you may notice that you lose steam and have to find the resilience to finish!) Either way, time blocking can provide bursts of productivity and a great way to build momentum.
Use cases
25 minute bursts can help the biggest procrastinator move into action!
Here are some personal and professional use cases for The Pomodoro Technique: doing expenses, organizing your desk, exercising, team working sessions, writing a blog post, making doctors appointments, getting your kids to straighten their rooms, talking a walk, food prep for the week, etc.
Give it a try this week! See if your productivity soars!
If you like these weekly focus tips and want to join our Monday call, comment on this post or shoot me the word “FOCUS” directly and I’ll send you the Zoom link. Hope to see you there!
