Productivity comes and goes in waves. Very few people can manage to keep up a consistent streak of productivity throughout the week (or day or month), but there are some hacks and tricks that can be used to maximize your productive output.
The Pomodoro technique is one of the most famous productivity hacks. It has been used widely by people from all walks of life to get a lot of work done in a short time while making sure they don’t compromise on their “me time.”
This article is a beginner’s guide on how you can apply the Pomodoro technique to maximize your productivity. But before we delve in, let’s look a little deeper into the history behind this method.
The Pomodoro technique was first documented by the software designer and productivity expert, Francesco Cirillo, in the 1980s. It was born out of Cirillo’s need to study more in less time. He was so inspired by the results this technique showed, that he wrote a whitepaper on it, and thus, the world-famous Pomodoro technique was born.
How to apply the Pomodoro technique
The key concept behind this technique is the idea of “time boxing”. You might have faced a situation when you know you’re wasting time, but even then find it hard to stop what you’re doing and get back to work. The time wasted on the meaningless task keeps getting longer and longer, and the task that’s the most important on your list keeps getting pushed farther and farther down your list of things to do.
This is where the Pomodoro technique comes in.
The concept is simple: you work in blocks of time (usually twenty five minutes), interspersed with breaks where you can recharge.
Because you have those short breaks of five minutes strewn in so generously, you can get more work done in a short time. This helps you achieve more without feeling burned out.
Six strategies to get the most out of the Pomodoro technique
Here are six steps you need to follow so you can get the most out of applying the Pomodoro technique to boost your productivity:
- Figure out which task on your list is the most important.
- Don’t let your attention get interrupted. If you feel distracted, remind yourself that a short break is coming up soon. You can entertain yourself as much as you need during that break.
- Don’t underestimate how much time you need to complete each task. This might be difficult in the beginning, but with time, you will learn to make accurate predictions about how much time each task demands.
- Keep recapping and reviewing how much you achieved in the past few hours by using the Pomodoro technique. This will give you a better idea of how impactful this new method has been and will serve as a reminder than you need to stick to this new habit, no matter how hard it may seem.
- Keep track of your personal motives and don’t lose sight of your goal.
Bonus: Use technology
In today’s age and time, if you’re trying to build this new habit of using the Pomodoro technique every day, you can turn to technology for help if you ever feel you’re struggling or faltering. Simply download a habit tracker that lets you mark each day on the calendar when you successfully stuck to your new habit. Seeing an unbroken streak will serve as the biggest motivator and keep pushing you on this new journey.
You can also hire an accountability coach to help keep you on track. These are trained professionals who will hold you accountable for your new habit of using the Pomodoro technique and help you get back on track if you ever fall off the wagon.
For an added bonus, read what the experts at Better Humans are saying. Our writers are the most experienced people and they only write from their own success stories. These posts will give you some hope and help you stick to this new goal of using the Pomodoro technique to boost your productivity and get the maximum work done without burning yourself out.How to Be More Productive by Hacking Your Perception of Time
The evolution of time management in 5 stages and 3 epiphaniesbetterhumans.pub