As humans, we are constantly trying to evolve in every aspect of our lives. For the same reason, we often actively look for 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 especially important to manage your time as effectively as possible and for this many professionals and effectiveness enthusiasts use the pomodoro technique.
This technique was first introduced as a productivity hack by French university student Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s. With the Pomodoro technique, the entire day's schedule is broken down into short sessions, including plenty of 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 distractions at work. It divides your entire day's schedule into 30-minute sessions where 25 minutes are allotted 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 his studies. 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 this way it was much easier for him to keep busy with his work without distraction, taking short breaks to regain focus.
Cirillo experimented further 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 frame, he took 25 minutes as Pomodoro, followed by a 5 minute short break.
This way it becomes easier to stay focused on your task, work with dedication and also reduce the chances of burnout.
How Can You Effectively Implement the Pomodoro Routine?
Sticking to the Pomodoro routine isn't hard; all you need to do is stay determined, where during each 25-minute Pomodoro work session you should focus only on that one important task.
Here are a few things to follow to make your pomodoro technique work and master it.
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 certain time frame. You further categorize all your tasks based on the complexity. After this you can, for example, put all simple tasks in 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 most important part: set a timer for 25 minutes and focus completely on the task at hand. During this time, don't let sudden tasks or social media notifications get your mind down until the Pomodoro goes. It's a matter of getting used to, but over time you will see that you become more concentrated and less and less "looking forward" to, among other things, your social media "breaks".
Important: communication during your Pomodoro sessions should be kept to a minimum, unless it is really urgent. If you have to interrupt the session, take your 5 minute break and then start another Pomodoro to make up for the lost minutes (and focus).
3. Take a 5 minute break after a successful pomodoro session
Once you've completed a Pomodoro session, take a (well-deserved) short break of 5 minutes to refresh your mind for the next round, this will also stimulate your creativity. Write down the things you did 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 so as not to miss any vital 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 going back to work.
Tip: During such an interval, try going for a walk, doing some extra exercise, socializing or taking part 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 concentrate fully 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. This allows you to stick to a time schedule more strictly.
The Pomodoro Technique is a really great time management system. It allows those using 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 final goal, supplemented with enough short breaks to continue to restore energy and motivation. This way you can definitely improve your workflow as well.
2. Breaks 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 the Pomodoro, you can divide your work according to 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 are limited by the time that slips away. The pressure to complete the task before the timer goes off eliminates the chance of procrastinating on the job. In this way you are in fact much more accountable for your work, which is of course a very popular characteristic among today's professionals and entrepreneurs!
4. Positively affects 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 plenty of 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 many productivity hacks that modern professionals and entrepreneurs are pursuing 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 dedication 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.
Of course, we hope that the Pomodoro Technique will help you on your way to better productivity. However, if you already know this technique and have used it before, let us know your experience in the comments below!
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Sources ao Lifehack (link), ThinkInsights (link), tick tick (link), VantageCircle (link)
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