May: A Productivity Tool to Try.

We all know the feeling – we arrive at work with a specific task in mind: something important, slightly daunting, and long overdue. It requires focus and time, both of which feel in short supply. The window to complete it is narrowing, and the pressure is building. Today has to be the day.

But despite our best intentions, the distractions and urgencies of the typically busy day at work are allowed to take precedence, and this also fuels our natural inclination to procrastinate. Before we know it the end of the day draws to a close, with our large task still hovering over our heads, now more menacing than before.

Pomodoro is the Italian word for “tomato” but it is also the name of a productivity technique developed by Francesco Cirillo, business consultant and productivity expert, in the late 1980s.  The Pomodoro Technique (named after the tomato-shaped timer he used) dictates that you set a timer for 25 minutes, with a pre-defined task in mind. Once the timer has begun, you focus solely on that task, refusing to allow any distractions to interrupt you, with the aim of either completing it, or making good progress.

When the timer goes off, you take a 5-minute break, ideally getting up to take a short walk, or moving away from the task at hand. When 5 minutes are up, you set the timer again for another 25 minutes and return to this specific work, or if you have completed it, to the next task, focused and ready to cover ground again. After 4 of these “Pomodoros” Cirillo advocates a longer break of around 30 minutes.

This simple technique works so well because it makes large tasks feel more manageable, improves our concentration, and helps us lessen procrastination. Three or four 25-minutes sessions in a morning seems entirely achievable, and provided that we keep distractions at bay, can significantly improve both our productivity and quality of work.

In our work and our lives, we are affected by what Jim Kwik refers to Limitless as a “digital deluge” – too many things to process and too little time. We are also contending with “digital distraction”, which he explains as too many notifications and perceived needs, and a continual shifting of our focus. No wonder we struggle to get the right things done.

Deciding to set our timers and focus on what is important is choosing to take control of our day, one small segment at a time. We are saying to ourselves; “For the next twenty five minutes, I will do this, and I will do it well.” I have experimented with this technique over the years, and it now forms a vital part of my workday. I use it for everything from big creative projects to quick bursts - clearing emails, tidying my desk, or making administrative calls. In fact, I used four Pomodoros to write and edit this article.

Experiment with this technique, and be patient with yourself. Where you are required to concentrate for longer periods – simply lengthen the timed portion, and reward your effort with a proportionate break at the end. You may find that when the timer goes off, you are in what Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls “flow”  - a state of deep immersion where time seems to disappear and the work carries itself forward, almost effortlessly.

Warding off distraction brings a clarity of mind and an empowering sense of purpose, elevating the quality of our output and making us want more. In the interests of both productivity and satisfaction, consider making this a daily practice. Identify the task, remove distractions, set your timer and begin the work that fulfills you and moves the needle. One Pomodoro at a time.

Photo by Ngo Ngoc Khai Huyen on Unsplash