If you are an entrepreneur, managing your time is one of the most important skills that you require. You might think you are in control of your time but as tasks build up learning how to get them done efficiency can help out in the long run.
To most people planning and scheduling is a waste of time, and it is. But they help recoup some time in the end of the process making it a worthwhile investment.
The pomodoro technique is a widely used technique to help manage time.
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What is “The Pomodoro”?
In the pomodoro technique you are required to divide your project or task into chunks. You then dedicate a set amount of time for each chunk, in most cases 25 minutes.
Once the 25 minutes are up,stop working on the project and take a short 2-3 minute break. Repeat this process 4 more times, after which you can take a longer break.
If you get distracted during your 25-minute session,then the clock resets and the session begins again.
Why the Pomodoro?
The pomodoro technique is extremely effective when you are someone who gets easily distracted or is constantly swamped with work coming from different sources.
This technique helps you compartmentalise your work and also forces you to dedicate a stipulated amount of time concentrating only on that one chunk of work.
The idea behind the 25 minutes is that it is a big enough time slot to get meaningful work done but not long enough to feel overwhelmed or tried. Each time you finish a pomodoro or a 25-minute session, you feel a sense of accomplishment that fuels your next 25-minute session.
This feedback loop of getting work done pushes you to be more efficient, getting the work done in a timely manner. People usually stack close to four pomodoro sessions together, which in turn results in a productive morning!
Pomodoro Is a Guideline Not a Rule
Any productivity technique or practice is only a set of guidelines that one can follow. They are by no means strict rules that you must abide by. Every person is unique in respect to their work style and hence these techniques can be used with slight variations.
The general guideline for the pomodoro technique is to use the 25-minute to get your work done and the next 5 minutes as a break. But your work might require you to maybe have 30-35 minute slots so as to do some meaningful work. This is completely acceptable.
If this is your first time using this technique and you feel 25-minutes is little too long you can even set an alarm for 15 or 18mins. The idea being that you divide your work in chunks and dedicate a stipulated time for each chunk without any distractions.
Any workflow that accommodates these guidelines can be categorized under the pomodoro technique. There are many physical pomodoro timers that can help you implement this technique, characterized by the technique’s famous use of a tomato shaped timer,linked to here.
