![]() ![]() “The first reason it's absolutely effective is because it's breaking the workload into manageable units.” Instead of looking at whatever mammoth project you're on, you just have to do one Pomodoro, then one more, until you're done. “It's ridiculously simple,” Eusebio said. And in keeping with The Pomodoro Technique, if I finish before the alarm, I take the time to refine my work, learn more, or brainstorm more ideas for the same publication. Having a finite end time is one part of the marvel this has been for me. Instead of dragging out the work all day, I try to see how few sessions I can complete the work in. Using the app, I set the timer for the task in question, and work furiously until the alarm. Now I break my work into 25-minute segments where I work on only one publication, or one other area (like my Airbnb, or the admin/business side of this gig economy life). When we later compared notes, “ most productive times were doing this technique,” said Eleazar Cruz Eusebio, Psy.D., NCSP, executive director at Insight Neurodevelopmental Associates and Nationally Certified School Psychologist at Prince George's County Public Schools in greater D.C.Ī better way The small scheduling shift that can give you more free time So what's magic about a cute tomato timer? What's that have to do with the Italian word for tomato? The technique's creator, then-student Francesco Cirillo, used a kitchen timer that looked like a tomato. You pick a task, set a timer for 25 minutes to work on that one thing, take a 5-minute break when the timer rings and repeat. The Pomodoro Technique sounded far too basic to actually work. Until I decided to try an approach I kept hearing about from other freelancers. Every year a new day planner, a new plan to stay on top of things, and every year the same old thing. These habits were just as entrenched when I worked a more traditional job for an employer. Of course these issues aren't the sole province of freelancing. Freelance life is feast or famine and I always choose feast, which leaves me in a constant state of not knowing if I can get everything done on time. I've lost hours, days, down rabbit holes of research that may be interesting, but doesn't contribute to the story at hand, and instead sucks time away that - if I'm to continue the freelance hustle - should be spent on actually, you know, making an income. Once you find your timer of choice, focused work with planned breaks might help limit distractions and check off a few more items on that “To Do” list.As a freelancer working from home, days can disappear in a whirlwind of answering emails, dealing with that load of laundry or dishes that simply must be put away, and other means of procrastination that leave me scrambling, frantic, come deadline time. To set the time, a kitchen timer is recommended to avoid digital distractions, but there are plenty of apps available. You will also gain a blueprint of your productivity. After you finish each pomodoro, you will feel a sense of accomplishment. Regular breaks are important to do efficient work. The idea is to break bigger tasks into smaller ones with uninterrupted focused work, followed by breaks to relax your mind. In that case, find a time frame that does work. Now, in actual practice, the 25-minute work/5-minute break may not work for you. Use your break time to take a short walk, check on a family member, call a friend, stretch, meditate, deep breathe, doodle, refill your water bottle or do anything that makes you happy. Complete the required number of intervals and, voila, you have accomplished your work within a preplanned timeframe. ![]() It helps to plan how many pomodoro intervals you need in a day to finish your tasks. Take longer breaks (15 to 30 minutes) for every four pomodoro intervals.So, how does it work? Let’s break down a pomodoro interval step by step: Francesco Cirillo coined the term “pomodoro,” which translates to tomato, in the late 1980s after the tomato-shaped timer he used as a university student. The Pomodoro technique is a simple yet effective tool for focused work with planned breaks in between. If this sounds familiar to you, perhaps the Pomodoro technique could come in handy. But let’s accept that it’s hard to complete tasks in an unprecedented time like now, when many of us are learning to work from home while caring for family members, or in isolation without the relief of social interactions common in a work place. Nothing gives as much joy as ticking off items on the “To Do” list at the end of a work day. Getting things done on time is the goal for many of us. ![]()
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