The Pomodoro Technique has been around for a long time, but I was reminded of it again in a recent post on Michael Hyatt’s blog. Essentially, it is a technique for maximizing your productivity by batching tasks and accomplishing them in set amounts of time with scheduled breaks.
According to PomodoroTechnique.com, there are 5 steps to getting started right away.
1. Choose a task to be accomplished and write it down.
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 of 5 minutes.
5. Every 4 Pomodoro’s, take a longer break, at least 20 minutes.
Try using this method for writing in short bursts if you are a non-fiction writer. Break up your writing into manageable 25 minute chunks, and attack them one at a time. If you work at it and stick with this method, your writing will be accomplished faster and easier than you thought possible. Just make sure you put everything you have into the 25 minutes.Here are some tools to make it easier for you to get started:
The Pomodoro Technique Cheat Sheet- A free PDF of The Pomodoro Technique book
- The Pomodoro Technique To-Do Checklist
- The Pomodoro Technique Activity Inventory
- The Pomodoro Pro app for your iPhone/ iPad
- Eggtimer/pomodoro for your timer – just refresh the page for your next segment
- Bonus: This should go without saying, but use Pandora.com to listen to music while you are working if it helps. The instrumental only channels are just as good as the rest.
