I like to share things that I find valuable and helpful, and The Pomodoro Technique by Francesco Cirillo absolutely falls into this category. I’ve steadily practiced his methodology for the past 6 months, and the results are remarkable.
I do not claim to have ADHD, but I have the tendency to jump from task to task, without spending any substancial time accomplishing anything. This is especially prevalent when my todo list is massive and I feel a bit overwhelmed.
As I write now, I am under the guidance of a pomodoro.
The idea is simple, make a list of tasks that need to be accomplished, you then get a kitchen timer, set it to 25 minutes and focus on a SINGLE task (and NOTHING else) for that duration. At the end of 25 minutes, you take a 5 minute break to do what ever (preferably something constructive) and then you do it again. After 4 consecutive pomodoros (each interval is referred to as a pomodoro) you take a 10 minute break.
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This technique is great because it prevents you from email anxiety and instills discipline. This discipline has been tremendous, especially while working on my graduate classes.
I do not use a physical timer. I have something better. I use a widget on my mac that allows keeps track of my pomodoros.
It is excellent because it actually mimics the ticking sound, and feels authentic. The ticking sound bothers at first, but after a while, it’s like marching to a beat, a subliminal keep-it-up reminder… here is a list of software timers
A great by-product of the pomodoro technique is the task log. As a freelancer, it is indispensable! I use it as my informal timesheet because I know exactly what I worked on, and when, and how many pomodoros it took.
The technique encourages you to break down tasks into manageable 25 minute increments. If something will take more than 25 minutes to accomplish, then you need to break it down. This does wonders for the mind, it also makes things seem less overwhelming.
I would love to see this in practice in a team environment… it could be wicked!
So I encourage you, give it a try… read this, and let me know how it works for you.
