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By: David Slonosky
So, you know, summer isn't really here yet (even though it feels like it here). Because of this, I will avoid writing my normal whimsical summer article (even though it feels like I should) because it's still sort of spring, dang it, and we should all be still working hard.
I am returning to one of my interests, time management, with a piece on a method I haven't tried yet, even though I really want to. It is called the “Pomodoro Technique™”.
A “pomodoro” in Italian is a tomato. And the person who developed this technique first (Francesco Cirillo) got the idea from seeing one of those classic tomato-shaped kitchen timers. (Virtual representation here.)
The basic idea is that sitting in one place for hours at a time trying to finish a task actually reduces your productivity. You should take breaks while working away.
Equipment at the most basic level is simple. You need a piece of paper and a pencil. On the paper, you work out what you need to do in the day. This forms your set of tasks. Then you start to work on the tasks.
From the official website, http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/
The basic unit of work in the Pomodoro Technique™ can be split in five simple steps:
1. Choose a task to be accomplished
2. Set the Pomodoro to 25 minutes (the Pomodoro is the timer)
3. Work on the task until the Pomodoro rings, then put a check on your sheet of paper
4. Take a short break (5 minutes is OK)
5. Every 4 Pomodoros take a longer break
The beauty of using a physical timer (I think) is the way your body gets involved in helping you work through the defined period. You wind it. It ticks. You hear the ticking and know you should still be working. When the alarm goes off, you know you should stop.
This is a very brief overview. There is more to incorporate, like dealing with interruptions in the 25 minutes, and analysing the day after you have finished working and then recording what your analysis showed you.
It's very interesting, but might be a bit difficult to implement in the standard work environment where co-workers might not appreciate the sound of your timer going off with such regularity. However, there are a whole set of software-based mimics of a physical kitchen timer.
A neat technique, and even if you don't think it's worth trying, the main website has a lot of information and theory on how to approach work.
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