If you are like me you are always looking for ways to be more productive. When I started using the Pomodoro technique I immediately saw an increase in my productivity. If you have not heard of the Pomodoro technique it is worth learning about how it can change your business.
What is the Pomodoro Technique?
The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. Cirillo named it the Pomodoro Technique after a tomato-shaped timer he used in college to keep himself on track as he studied.
The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. The way it works is you choose a task, set your timer and work on that task and ONLY that task for the duration. Afterward, you take a short break of five minutes and start a new interval. You can do longer periods, but the ideal time has been shown to be 25 minutes. After four intervals you take a longer break to recharge.
Why Does It Work?
There are a variety of reasons why this technique is so effective. First, it keeps you focused on one task. Not long-ago multi-tasking was huge. People were praised for their multi-tasking skills. More recently the school of thought is multi-tasking is actually making us less productive. When we switch projects, we lose time and focus and get less done than if we had just focused on one thing at a time. Pomodoro has you choose a task and give it your solid focus for 25 minutes and make as much progress as possible. It is proven that complete focus will allow you to get more done than bouncing from task to task.
Second, Pomodoro helps you learn how much time a task really takes. For example, you might think it takes two hours to write a blog post, what you don’t realize is that the two hours includes checking your email, social media, and getting a cup of coffee. If you focus your time you might learn that a blog post takes only one or two Pomodoro sessions to complete.
Finally, the built-in breaks force you to move around and this helps with feeling frazzled and overwhelmed with long hours of work at your desk.
The beauty of this method is it is SUPER simple and easily tested. All you need is a timer and a task! I recommend that when you use Pomodoro you keep track of what you complete in each session and really see how your productivity increases.
The Best Pomodoro Timer Apps
- Focus Booster (Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android) for freelancers who work with multiple clients
- PomoDoneApp (Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android) for using Pomodoro with a third-party task management app
- KanbanFlow (Web) for combining Kanban and Pomodoro
- Pomotodo (Web, Windows, macOS, Chrome, iOS, Android) for combining GTD® and Pomodoro
- Marinara Timer (Web) for teams looking to complete pomodoros together
- Be Focused (macOS, iOS) for simple task and time management on Apple devices
- Tomatoes (Web) for motivating you to complete pomodoros
- Engross (Android) for figuring out when you’re the most focused
- Pomodoro.cc (Web) for people who are new to the Pomodoro Technique
- Timerdoro (Web) for people who need multiple timers
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