The Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique is an excellent and a widely used time management tool.
So what is a Pomodoro? In Italian, it means a tomato, as you can see in the picture. From a time management perspective, it’s a timer, more like a kitchen timer.
This method of time management, developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s uses this timer to break an activity or task down into 25-minute chunks. You set the timer, traditionally to the 25-minute mark and focus on the task at hand without any interruption until the timer rings. You then take a short break before resuming the task again.
One of my Professors for Leadership at Columbia Business School taught us that “mind wandering” is one of the biggest killers of productivity and results in higher levels of dissatisfaction at work.
I personally find this technique a great tool to train your mind to focus continually on a task at hand for 25 minutes at a stretch, before taking a short break.
After completing 4 consecutive pomodori, you take a longer break. As you record the number of pomodori required to complete a certain task, you get better at estimating your own speed, capacity and efficiency at the same time improving focus. This is quite helpful in planning your day or week ahead at the same time sustaining higher levels of productivity.
The timer can be adjusted to suit your time intervals as well, if you prefer a variation to the 25-minute mark.
There is a lot more to the Pomodoro Technique and for those interested in learning or studying more, I suggest you visit http://pomodorotechnique.com or read the book by the same name.
