A Blog of @Ramreva, known in the real world as Ram.N: The Pomodoro Technique: martial arts of time management.

The Pomodoro Technique: martial arts of time management.

The Pomodoro Technique® is a way to get the most out of time management. Turn time into a valuable ally to accomplish what we want to do and chart continuous improvement in the way we do it.

Francesco Cirillo created the Pomodoro Technique® in the 1980s. It is now practiced by professional teams and individuals around the world.

This is how the website defines the technique, and it is true! Website: http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/

I have never been a great enthusiast of productivity techniques, for all that I do is the creative stuffs. Writing, cartooning and painting. These are the art forms that never needs to be rushed, for it could spell kaput. But, what happens when you are in a position to create more in the least possible time? Enter the Pomodoro Technique

What is this technique..?

Simply put, there is no ritual to working, you define your style here. Work - if seen in the conventional terms simply means "anything that we might or might not like, but yet have to do it, for a greater benefit". Even to a writer, whose passion is to write, there is occassional or more frequent writer's block, and mathematicians have burn-outs. Overdoing clearly has its disadvantages. It is important to draw a line, enjoy what was done, and plan what needs to be done and then get back to work. For more often than not, we are always more equipped than we actually think we are to get the things done.

Taking the cues from the previous sentence, there are a myriad of productivity techniques to choose from, just to name a few, we have :-

GTD(Getting Things Done)
Mnmlsm (Zen Habits approach : minimalism)
Journaling (this is an art, learn more from Jim Rohn)
To-Do list
ABCD techniques (Brain Tracy : Eat That Frog)
Using timer instead of watches etc.

About the techniques above, I shall blog some other day; for today we are doing Pomodoro.

Where Pomodoro clearly wins...?

This technique simply uses a timer, like the one shown in the picture. The timer is set for 25 minutes, and then follows a 3-5 minutes break. This goes on for 4 such cycles, after which you deserve a 15 minutes break.

Note: The how to and guide ebooks are free, and can be downloaded from the website. The pomodoro timer I use is an Android app named Pomodroido

This technique clearly wins over GTD and all possible techniques partially because there is hardly anything to learn here, and there are no intricate details (to begin with), however after mastering the technique, there are a host of intricate analysis you can perform. But for now, let's just be beginners and enjoy the beginner's luck.

The timer looks cute, unlike a huge excel sheet that enervates us as we look at it. The method is self-propogative, you tend to feel addicted to working (sounds paradoxical?!).

You don't get tired!...But How?

Normal Scenario: Imagine climbing the stairs for 3 continous hours.

Pomodoro Scenario: Imagine climbing stairs at a proper & planned pace, for 25 minutes. Resting for 5 minutes, then continuing such cycles. Taking 15 minute braks now and then.

Thats how it works.

So. Ready... Get set... pomodoro!