Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique:

Just a tip that I've been finding really useful, and I thought I'd pass it on.

I've been using the Pomodoro Technique, which is a fancy name for a timer.

You can read more about it here, on wikipedia.

Get a 1 hour timer:

Break your work up into roughly 25 minute chunks.

1. Work for 25 minutes
2. Have 5 minutes off
3. Work for 25 minutes
4. Have 5 minutes off

This will give you the opportunity every 25 minutes to make sure you're doing the right thing, and, equally importantly, doing it right.

Who this will work for:

• Office workers
• Home keepers
• Disorganised, or distractable people.

People it won't work for:

• Delivery drivers
• Teachers during face time
• Parents while trying to look after kids.

Some things I do in the 5 minutes off:

• stretch
• vacuum one room
• tidy kitchen
• go outside
• make a coffee
• check out facebook (though it's better to stand up and go out)

Down sides:

• Sometimes you don't want to take a break. I always try to, and leave a note about where I was.
• It is very intense. I'm exhausted by the end of the day because I'm working a lot harder.

Up sides:

• I'm working a lot harder.
• I'm getting other things done, house work
• You end up breaking tasks down into smaller chunks. If you start down a path, and it's a dead end, you know after 25 minutes.

Really, though, check it out. On the wikipedia, or just google it.

There are heaps of apps as well, but yeah, works for me.