When it comes to learning, there is no limit. Now, with access to all that extra information thanks to the internet, it is easy to get swayed and distracted. And if you’re someone who tends to procrastinate, then the task becomes that much difficult to complete, as you struggle to stay focused and productive. How then, do you overcome this? This is where a new type of learning hack--the Pomodoro technique—comes into play.
What is it?
Francesco Cirillo, a university student at the time, invented the Pomodoro Technique in the late 1980s. Cirillo was having trouble concentrating on his academics and completing projects. He tasked himself to commit to only 10 minutes of dedicated study time because he was feeling overwhelmed. Encouraged by the challenge, he discovered a tomato-shaped kitchen timer (pomodoro in Italian, now also known as the Pomodoro timer), and the Pomodoro technique was created.
To improve prolonged attention and avoid mental weariness, this popular time management strategy requires you to alternate pomodoros—focused work sessions—with frequent brief pauses.
Despite the fact that Cirillo went on to publish a book about it, the method's greatest strength lies in its simplicity:
1. Make a to-do list and set a timer for yourself.
2. Set a pomodoro timer for 25 minutes (one pomodoro) and concentrate on one task until the timer goes off.
3. Mark off one pomodoro and keep track of what you accomplished at the end of your session.
4. After that, take a five-minute pause.
5. Take a lengthier, more restorative 15-30 minute pause after four pomodoros.
The method's core is 25-minute work sprints, but a Pomodoro practise also contains three criteria for making the most of each interval. They are:
1. Simplify: Complicated projects should be broken down. If a task takes more than four pomodoros, it should be broken down into smaller, more manageable chunks. Following this rule will ensure that you make significant progress on your tasks.
2. The Smaller, The Better: Small chores complement one other. Any jobs that will take less than one pomodoro should be grouped together with other easy activities.
3. Stick To It: A pomodoro must ring once it has been set. The pomodoro is a time unit that cannot be divided, notably not to check incoming emails, team conversations, or text messages. Any new ideas, tasks, or demands should be written down and revisited later. Take a five-minute break and restart if an unavoidable interruption occurs. Cirillo, in his book, suggests keeping track of interruptions (internal or external) as they happen, and reflecting on how to avoid them in the future.
Even if you complete your assignment before the timer goes out, the rule still applies. Spend the rest of your time overlearning or expanding your knowledge base. The simple idea behind this technique is all about improving your focus and productvity, by getting your mind in the right framework to complete your chores.
How does it help?
Here’s how this technique helps in productivity:
1. Get Started The Simple Way
Procrastination, according to research, has little to do with laziness or a lack of self-control. Rather, we procrastinate in order to prevent unpleasant feelings. It's unsettling to face a large task or project that you may not know how to complete or that entails a lot of ambiguity. So, if only temporarily, we turn to distractions, whether it’s watching something or scrolling through social media, to lift our spirits.
However, studies have shown that shrinking whatever you're putting off down to a modest, unintimidating initial step, will help you break free from the avoidance loop. Instead of sitting down to complete an assignment in one go, for example, sit down to write for five minutes. Is it still too difficult? Sitting down to modify or write a paragraph is a good start. It's a lot easier to confront a modest task for a short amount of time than it is to confront a large task.
The pomodoro approach urges you to break down your huge chores, projects, or ambitions into something you only have to perform for the next 25 minutes, which is a proven procrastination-busting tool. It keeps you hyper-focused on the next task, rather than being overwhelmed with the magnitude of it.
2. Deal With Distractions
If you've ever been interrupted while you’re in the flow of things, you know how tough it can be to get back on track. Despite this, the constant barrage of information arriving in the form of emails, team conversations, and social media updates requires an increasing amount of our attention.
Over half of all working distractions, according to studies, are self-inflicted. This means, we drag ourselves out of focus. It takes time and work to refocus your attention, not simply the time you waste on distractions. Our brain might linger on the prior work for up to 20 minutes after switching gears before regaining complete attention. Checking your social media 'just for a minute' can quickly grow into 20 minutes of attempting to get back on track.
The pomodoro technique assists you in resisting self-interruptions and retraining your brain to focus. Each pomodoro is committed to a single activity, and each break is an opportunity to reset and return your focus to your work.
3. Increased Accountability About Your Time
The pomodoro technique is a useful tool for combating the planning fallacy where you tend to overestimate how much work you can do in one go. When you start working in short, timed sessions, time becomes a concrete occurrence. It becomes a pomodoro, which is a time and effort unit. The pomodoro is an event that concentrates on a specific task, as opposed to the idea of 25 minutes of broad 'work' (or several simple tasks).
You have a clear measurement of your finite time and efforts when you utilise the pomodoro technique. This allows you to reflect and plan your days more properly and efficiently. You'll be able to precisely estimate how many pomodoros a task will take with practice, and develop more consistent work habits.
4. Increased Productivity
The pomodoro technique is simple to learn since it lays emphasis on consistency over perfection. Each session provides a new opportunity to assess your goals, push yourself to be more focused, productive, and reduce distractions. You have the ability to make the system work for you.
Tips For Effective Pomodoro
Here are some tips you can try to make this technique effective for you:
1. Plan The Pomodoros
Take out some time before you begin your day to plan out your pomodoros for the day, or at the end if you're planning for the next day. Take a look at your daily to-do list and count how many pomodoros each task will take.
2. Add A Few Extra Pomodoros
It's a good idea to set aside two to four 'excess' pomodoros just in case. Use your overflow pomodoros for jobs that take longer than expected or for jobs that arise unexpectedly throughout the day. Use the additional pomodoros for learning or lower priority chores that always get pushed to the back of your to-do list if you don't need them.
3. Experiment With Different Pomodoro Lengths
25 minutes may be too short for some forms of work that require lengthy periods of creative flow. Extend your work sessions and take longer breaks, as you deem fit.
Similarly, 25 minutes may be too lengthy for things you've been putting off for various reasons. If you're having trouble staying focused for the full 25 minutes, try a 15, 10, or even five minute pomodoro. Mix up your intervals depending on your energy level, the type of work you're doing, and how much a task makes you want to procrastinate.
4. Break Away From The Screen
If you use a computer for your pomodoro work sessions, don't just switch over to social media when the timer goes off. Allow your eyes and brain to rest from screens, including your phone. Stand up, stretch, go outdoors, conduct a brief meditation, grab a bite, or look out the window at the scenery. The break from the screen will leave your mind feeling refreshed.