The Pomodoro Technique is a great time-management tool, but some people find it a little clunky and give up on it after a while.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
If you’re not familiar, the traditional version involves focusing on a task for 25-minutes, then taking a 5-minute break. After four Pomodoros, you get a longer, half-hour break.
People use different variations, but Alexey Guzey has hacked a way to make the technique even easier to use. Guzey suggests the reason why you might give up on Pomodoro is your brain is using energy to think of how to get a task completed in 25-minutes. Or at least getting to a point where taking a break doesn’t interrupt your flow.
Then, there’s the problem of interruptions. Do you restart your Pomodoro timer or keep going?
Photo Credit: Needpix
Guzey says that a better way than using a timer is to keep a calendar with fixed Pomodoro times. Each hour and half-hour starts with the 5-minute break. After three hours, you get a half-hour break.
Here’s an example of how that works:
Work: 9:35 to 10:00
Break: 10:00 to 10:05
Work: 10:05 to 10:30
Break: 10:30 to 10:35
Work: 10:35 to 11:00
Break: 11:00 to 11:05
Work: 11:05 to 11:30
Break: 11:30 to 11:35
Work: 11:35 to 12 noon
Break: 12 noon to 12:35
Photo Credit: Max Pixel
After a few days, this daily schedule should become a habit. And in case you do get interrupted or distracted, you can check the time and know exactly where to pick it back up.
The calendar/Pomodoro method is also good for reminding yourself to avoid distractions.
For those of us who like schedules, this is a pretty good hack. With or without the Pomodoro timer app, it’s great to be able to see at a glance where you are in your productive hours.
Gotta keep that butt on track!
