If you’re someone who loses focus or gets distracted easily, chances are your productivity at work has suffered on more than one occasion. Luckily, there are techniques to manage your time properly, and one of my favorites is the Pomodoro method .
With this simple technique, your efficiency, creativity and ability to concentrate will multiply. So stay with me because I am going to tell you exactly what this management method consists of and how to implement it in your daily life.
In fact, you can put it into practice immediately
The Pomodoro Method is a technique aimed at improving time management in the workplace or at school. It consists of using a stopwatch to set time intervals, with 25 minutes of activity (known as pomodoros ), followed by 5 minutes of rest.
Once four consecutive time intervals have been completed, a longer break time is required, usually 15 to 30 minutes. We then restart the process until the pending tasks are completed.
The technique was created in the late 1980s by Italian computer engineer Francesco Cirillo, who was then a university student and had difficulty maintaining concentration and completing his tasks efficiently.
In an attempt to maintain focus, he decided to intersperse periods of maximum concentration with short rounds of rest.
As a curious fact, Cirillo used a tomato-shaped kitchen timer to put his technique into practice. Pomodoro means tomato in Italian. Hence the name of the method.
The keys to the Pomodoro technique
Although the technique has a fairly simple mechanics and can be applied in any area, remember that it has been designed to concentrate on a single task or activity during each time interval.
Make a list of all your tasks.
Prioritize by importance and urgency.
Break your work down into smaller tasks to be completed in these blocks of time.
The task should be simple so that you can concentrate solely on it.
The periods of activity and rest may have a different duration than the original, depending on the needs of each worker.
Pomodoro method processes
One of the main features of this method is that it is scalable. This means that it can be implemented gradually to improve productivity both at a personal and team level.
Therefore, we can divide the Pomodoro technique into several processes. Let’s see what they are:
Internal process
In this first process, the objective is to begin to familiarize ourselves with the technique.
We will focus on developing an effective relationship with time, finding a balance between activity and rest.
Let’s look at the tale of Sarah, a young businesswoman who started her own skincare company, to show the possibility of using Telegram’s database for telegram database market insights. She first went to Telegram because she was confused about the preferences of her target audience and felt overpowered by the competitive landscape.
It is an ideal stage for you to begin to adjust y
The core process is about performing your tasks to achieve your goals with less effort.
In this phase, we try to follow the premises of the method, minimizing distractions to be more efficient .
Daily process
This is where the technique goes from being sporadic to becoming a daily routine , in order to meet a greater number of objectives.
By using the Pomodoro method throughout the day, you will achieve a more consistent workflow, with a lower risk of burnout.
Weekly process
Following the above process in a disciplined thailand email resource manner will lead you to develop a weekly routine based on the Pomodoro technique.
Here you can plan tasks in advance and assign Pomodoros to each one, for much more optimal time management.
It consists of adapting the Pomodoro method t
Here we can set shared goals and work in a synchronized manner, making adjustments whenever necessary.
To put the finishing touch on efficiency, you can use a project management tool .
Now that you understand what the Pomodoro method is, let’s look at how the technique works step by step.
Although there is a 130-page book that explains the process in great detail, in this little guide we have outlined the most important points (some of which I have already given you):
Step 1: Create a list of tasks in order of importance
Before you start, make a list of all the tasks canada email lead you have pending for the day and order them in order of importance.
Choose based on your criteria which activity you are going to start with.
Try to neutralize any potential distracting elements around you.
This means finding yourself in a noise-free area, putting your phone on silent mode, or asking your colleagues to avoid interrupting you.
Step 2: Set your timer for 25 minutes
Grab a timer or stopwatch to schedule your first 25 minutes of activity.
You don’t need to use a physical device or your mobile phone (partly because it can be distracting).
There are apps optimized for the Pomodoro method that you can easily implement from your own browser. I’ll leave you with some of these tools later in this article.
Step 3: Complete the first interval without getting distracted
It’s time to focus on your work 100% for 25 minutes.
This can be a real challenge if you are a big procrastinator, so it requires a lot of commitment.
During your session you cannot check WhatsApp, see the football scores, choose songs, go on social media (a total bane) or go to the kitchen for a drink. Remember that you will have breaks to do these things.
Please note that the Pomodoro cannot be interrupted.
If something unexpected happens, the method is cancelled and restarted at another time. And if you finish the assigned task ahead of time, use the remaining minutes to “overlearn” or improve your knowledge about that activity.
Step 4: Take your first 5 minutes of break
When the timer goes off, record your first Pomodoro as complete and take a five-minute break.
This short period should serve to make you feel renewed and ready to resume your work.
We advise you to “change your surroundings” during your moments of rest.
This means that if you work in front of a computer, take advantage of breaks to get away from your desk and do some task that requires physical activity. You can take advantage of this time to do some stretching, for example.
Step 5: Repeat the process until you complete 4 Pomodoros
Continue the process by repeating the previous steps until you complete four Pomodoros.
I advise you that if you have complex tasks, you divide them into activities that are more manageable for you.
That way, you’ll have a better idea of how many Pomodoros you need and get a very positive feeling every time the alarm goes off.
At the end of the fourth work session, you are free to take a longer break.
It doesn’t have a specific duration, but it usually lasts between 15 and 30 minutes. Take advantage of this time to clear your mind and recharge your energy.
Step 7: Start over
After having completed the established cycle, start from step 1 again until you have completed all your pending tasks.
