As humans, we are constantly trying to evolve in every aspect of our lives. For the same reason, we often actively seek new ways to become more efficient and agile. Well, this certainly applies in our professional life, where we have to keep juggling many things at the same time. Here it is often particularly important to manage your time as effectively as possible and many professionals and effectiveness enthusiasts use the pomodoro technique for this.
This technique was first introduced as a productivity hack by French university student Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s. With the Pomodoro technique, the entire daily schedule is divided into short sessions, including enough time to refresh and regain focus on work.
What is the Pomodoro technique?
The Pomodoro technique is a time management and productivity hack that aims to reduce exposure to distraction during work. It divides your entire day schedule into 30-minute sessions that allocate 25 minutes for work and the remaining 5 minutes to regain your focus.
Francesco Cirillo invented this technique when he found it difficult to focus on his studies during the first year of college. He then decided to take a tomato-shaped kitchen timer and initially set it to 10 minutes. In those 10 minutes he focused completely on his studies without thinking about anything else and it worked really well for him. He found that in this way it was much easier for him to keep busy with his work without distraction taking short breaks to regain focus.
Cirillo further experimented with this technique and created a solid framework. Since he initially used a timer in the shape of a tomato, he called it the Pomodoro technique (Pomodoro is the Italian word for Tomato).
Within the defined framework, he took 25 minutes as a Pomodoro, followed by a 5-minute break.
In this way, it becomes easier to stay focused on your task, work with dedication and also reduce the chances of burnout.
How can you implement the Pomodoro routine effectively?
Sticking to the Pomodoro routine isn't difficult; all you need to do is stay resolute, where during each 25 minute Pomodoro work session you should focus your focus on just that one important task.
Here are a few things to follow to make your pomodoro technique work and master.
1. Make a to-do list and divide your tasks into categories
In this step, you need to create a to-do list of the things you want to accomplish within a specific time frame. You further categorize all your tasks based on the complexity. After this you can, for example, put all simple tasks into one Pomodoro session to reduce sudden distractions.
TIP: Try making a to-do list the day before to save time the next day and mentally prepare yourself for future challenges as you tackle your day's work.
2. Set your Pomodoro timer to ring after 25 minutes
The main part: set a timer for 25 minutes and concentrate fully on the task in front of you. During this time, don't let sudden tasks or social media notifications take over your mind until the Pomodoro goes. It is a matter of getting used to, but after a while you will see that you become more concentrated and less and less “looking forward” to your social media “breaks”.
Important: communication during your Pomodoro sessions should be kept to a minimum, unless it is really urgent. If you need to pause the session, take your 5 minute break and then start a new Pomodoro to make up for the lost minutes (and focus).
3. Take a short 5 minute break after a successful pomodoro session
Once you have completed a Pomodoro session, take a (well-deserved) short 5 minute break to refresh your mind for the next round, this will also boost your creativity. Write down the things you have done in the past 25 minutes to track your progress.
Tip: Use this time to rehydrate yourself and check your inbox (s) every now and then during these breaks to make sure you don't miss any critical updates.
4. Take a longer break after four successful Pomodoros
Once you have reached four Pomodoros, ie 100 minutes of continuous work, you can reward yourself with a longer break of about 15 - 20 minutes before returning to work.
Tip: During such an interval, try to go for a walk, do some extra exercise, socialize for a while, or participate in simple training to avoid fatigue at work.
How does the Pomodoro technique help you in your work?
The basic idea of the Pomodoro technique is to help people to fully concentrate on their work for 25 minutes. It allows them to break down complex tasks into smaller segments that can be done in one Pomodoro session and get a clear picture of all their objectives.
Here are a few ways the Pomodoro method can help you.
1. You can keep to a strict time schedule with this.
The Pomodoro technique is a really great time management system. It allows whoever uses it to stick to a strict schedule without losing focus on work.
This technique allows you to analyze how you spend your time and examine your ability to get things done quickly. Each successful Pomodoro session takes you one step closer to your end goal, supplemented with enough short breaks to continue to restore energy and motivation. This way you can definitely improve your workflow.
2. Breaks down complex tasks into smaller parts
The real beauty of the Pomodoro method lies in the fact that it is very effective against complex and time consuming tasks. Before starting with the Pomodoro, you can divide your work based on which part will consume the most time. Here you can save both your time and effort by grouping all the small tasks into one Pomodoro session to keep your mind free from distractions while you work on the important aspects of the task.
3. Promotes accountability
Every time you reset the tomato timer, you will be limited by the time slipping. The pressure to complete the task before the timer goes off eliminates the chance that you will procrastinate on the job. In fact, this means that you are much more accountable for your work, which is of course a highly sought-after feature among today's professionals and entrepreneurs!
4. Has a positive effect on work-life balance
The correct implementation of the Pomodoro technique can have a major and positive influence on your work-life balance. Because you can get a lot of your work done on or before time with this technique, you also get enough time for yourself. You can use this excess time to fulfill your personal obligations or to further educate yourself and prepare for the future.
Finally about the Pomodoro technique
The Pomodoro technique is one of the many productivity hacks that modern professionals and entrepreneurs aspire to become more efficient and agile. Getting started with this time management technique is very easy because you can already work with a simple notepad and a countdown timer as an alarm.
All that matters here is your commitment to following this new routine. You can start with longer pomodoros in the beginning, and you can eventually shorten the time as you progress. You create enormous focus and moments of considerable productivity in your working day.
We hope, of course, that the Pomodoro technique will help you on your way to better productivity. However, if you're already familiar with this technique and have used it before, let us know your experience in the comments below!
Loves our website keep an eye out for more hacks to boost your productivity!
Sources ao Lifehack (link), ThinkInsights (link), TickTick (link), VantageCircle (link)
Super!