The Pomodoro Technique ®
The Pomodoro technique, or Pomodoro method, is a super simple method to help you get your tasks done. Named after a pomodoro (tomato) kitchen timer, the essence of it involves considering in advance how many pomodoros you might need for what you want to get done, setting your timer for, normally, 25 minutes and then focusing on your task until the time’s up. Then take a 5-minute break. That’s one pomodoro. After you’ve done four pomodoros take a longer break, of about 30 minutes.
Some tips:
- Protect your pomodoro from distractions — make sure that you spend the full 25 minutes on your task. If people want things let them know you’ll get back to them after your pomodoro.
- Properly break in your breaks — no sneaky working.
- It’s flexible, not rigid. If you need longer or shorter times, that’s OK. It’s about what helps you focus.
You only need a timer, but there are a number of simple apps that can help if you want to try it too, like this nice one with a bear: Bear Focus Timer .
The Pomodoro Technique ® was created and named by Francesco Cirillo .
If you like the Pomodoro Technique, you might also like the other sketches of my toolkit for life in my book Big Ideas Little Pictures, which even has a lovely review from Bill Gates.
