How To Use The Pomodoro Technique And Why You Need It

Next week I’ve allotted 9 days to write a course. I’ve been wanting to write this course for 5 years or more. I have done all my research, now I just need to write it.

Parkinson’s Law

Parkinson’s law states that you will fill whatever allotted time you set to complete a task.

Think about that.

If you set a month to do a task, you’ll do it in a month, even procrastinating until the last few days, because you know you have so much time.

You add padding time so you don’t feel under pressure.

I heard myself saying, I cant get my course written in 9 days, because if I could do that then what does that say about all the years I’ve procrastinated? So I had better string it out to make it look like it was a labour of love.

As if it had more value if it took me longer.

One suggestion is to think about what time you think you could do a task in, then halve it.

Pomodoro Technique

The pomodoro technique is allotting a time, say 25 mins (this is the traditional pomodoro timer amount of minutes), and just working your butt off to do that task, then when the timer rings you have a break. 3-5 minutes. Write down a 1 on a piece of paper. Then reset the timer. When you get to 4 on your paper, take a longer break, 15-30 minutes.

Or say allotting an hour to clean your house and then stop. So go hard for that hour. Then break.

There are also apps for the pomodoro technique.

Pomodoro is Italian for tomato, which is what the timer looked like of the guy who created this technique.

Here is his website.

Objections

I’m aware of all the resistances I have to doing things concentrated and even fast. That if I do it too fast I will miss stuff out.

As if taking your time and dragging it out means you have more time to think of things. But you don’t generally, you procrastinate. Or you check facebook, or get up to eat, or lose track and do other things. Because you think taking your time is easier.

I never used to like having a timer on things as it stressed me out. And I was worried I would get adrenal fatigue from pushing myself.

Too much like a test.

But my life has changed enough for me to want to try this now.

Remember to write things down that come to mind about other things you want to do after your task is completed. Don’t do them during the allotted time.

Let me know if you use this technique to get stuff done.