Large projects and the daily grind can get to you. The longer you work, the more easily you get distracted. The Pomodoro Technique is designed for you to get more done with fewer distractions because it has distraction time built into the system.
The Pomodoro Technique was created in the early 90s by a developer by the name of Francesco Cirillo. The foundation of the system is a way to time yourself, and is in fact, how the system got its name (Cirillo used a kitchen timer in the shape of a tomato). Once you have a way to time yourself, you decide how long each “Pomodoro” will be. The most common time is twenty minutes. You work in sprints, for example, twenty minutes of focused work, five minutes rest. The rest period is designed for you to tackle distractions that come up throughout your working time. Every third rest is fifteen minute period, allowing you to tackle larger distractions or take a short walk to stimulate or relax your mind.
To get the most out of the Pomodoro Technique, before you start, plan your first sprint list out with the tasks or projects you’d like to accomplish. After each Pomodoro, place a check next to the task on your list. If someone or something comes along when you’re in a period of focused work, you quickly assess the priority level. If the interruption is not an emergency, politely put it aside to return to during another sprint or a break, which is ever most appropriate.
Remember, the Pomodoro Technique is a system, not a rule book. If you’re almost done with a task and the timer goes off- wrap up what you’re doing, and then take your break. If an interruption is deemed worthy of stopping your task, do it. The Pomodoro Technique is a flexible system by design and allows you the flexibility that is missing from some other systems.
