The Pomodoro Technique for Focus

3/23/2020

Pomodoro comes from the Italian word for tomato and brings to mind a little kitchen timer. This technique is to focus your energy and attention to one task for a timed period, and then take a

break. It is super simple, but reaps a lot of benefits in managing your time, securing your focus, and learning the actual amount of time certain tasks require.

Often we underestimate how long creative tasks take. Perhaps we get “in the zone” or begin to lean toward perfectionism. The Parkinson Principle teaches that a task will expand to fill the amount of time available to it – and in these days of Stay at Home Orders, with very little on our calendars “in ink”, we can easily find ourselves busy “at” something without really accomplishing a lot. The Pomodoro Technique can help keep your brain on task and help you visualize the passing of time in chunks. To me at times, it is almost like a race or contest – how much can I accomplish in this 25 minute period?

On the other hand, many OVERestimate the time required to perform a task. We are so used to multitasking and distractions, and the consequent loss of productivity as the brain constantly refocuses, that we don’t realize how much of that writing time actually involves checking email, scrolling facebook, and other non-relevant activities.

My favorite time of day for Creative time and Pomodoros is in the morning from 9-12. It is a nice time block of energy and productivity. Often in Time Management, we talk about the Eisenhower Matrix, where most of us live in the quadrant of completing tasks that are “Important and URGENT”. But many priorities in our lives never make themselves “urgent” – think of the inspiring author who dreams of writing a book – there is no contract, she has no external “deadlines” holding her to due dates, she must make this priority rise to the top on her own. There are many occupational advancement projects that would fit this category. But even on a personal level: time with the kids, healthy cooking, exercise, home improvement projects and maintenance – these are items that allow us to neglect them and rarely rise to level of urgent emergencies, “fires” that need to be put out. So setting aside that time block for YOUR priorities – making that standing appointment with YOURSELF and not allowing distractions, is an AMAZING way to live in the quadrant of Important but NOT urgent!!

Because I love to “race the clock”, I also enjoy Pomodoros with more mundane tasks – tidying up, putting away a basket of laundry, prepping dinner – I like to see how much I can accomplish in a short period, and it helps me stay on task as I compete to match the time I have estimated!

You really have to experience the technique to see its power in:

enhancing your focus
harnessing your awareness of the distractions around you
improving your ability to cut down on the interruptions
increasing your skill to estimate the timetable for all kinds of tasks – your planning over time!

And it’s kind of like Othello – a minute to learn. A lifetime to master. The technique is just a few simple steps, but mastering our energy to focus is an ongoing process!

1. Choose your task – big, small, priority, mundane – but if it is worth your time, it is worth your undivided attention!

Write it down to define it better. Estimate how many pomodoros (25 minute sessions) you expect it to take and write that down as well. If it is more than about 5 pomodoros, you want to break down into smaller tasks. If it is just a 2 minute email, you want to batch into a full pomodoro (work in my inbox to respond to multiple emails, in this example). Here you are, actively choosing what you will accomplish in the next ½ hour, and making a list of what is most important to you today!! In fact, you may want to schedule a PLANNING Pomodoro, where you use a session to plan your day, week, month, and do some serious goal setting!!

2. Set the timer for 25 minutes.
Make an oath with yourself to spend the next 25 minutes focused on this task, without allowing interruptions. (You can do anything for 25 minutes!)

There are lots of free apps out there for your phone or PC. It should show you a visible countdown, alarm after the time is up, AND should make a ticking sound. This might sound super irritating or stress inducing – but here’s one of the reasons you have to give it a chance for a couple of days!! It tends to create a calm energy, and like Pavlov’s dogs, provides a mental signal that it is time to FOCUS!

The suggested duration is 30 minutes long (25 minutes of working with a 5 minute break), but anywhere from 25-40 minutes for both the work interval and the break could work. Because it is also a tool to LEARN focus: focusing for an entire 25 minutes straight may be the GOAL for you, and that’s okay – Define THAT as the goal and embrace it!! You may want to start with a smaller timeframe, and that’s okay too – IMPROVING FOCUS is the name of the game and a huge benefit!

3. PROTECT the Pomodoro!!

To accomplish the Pomodoro and reward yourself with that check mark, you have to stay focused and complete the whole 25 minutes. You can’t quit halfway through to take a phone call, or check email and still take credit. So, you only want to allow interruption for very important items. And you want to realize that it is in your power to CHOOSE what is valid or not.

If you have mental, internal interruptions: WRITE THEM DOWN, don’t require your mind to hold them. You want your task to stay front and center of your brain, and allow your focus to stay on task. Writing it down also helps you visually TRACK the distractions – how frequently are you interrupting yourself – this is one of the ways you learn to improve! You will review them after you are finished your time block of Pomodoros, and you may well discover very few of the distractions were urgent.

For external distractions and interruptions from others: note and refocus. Start to realize how much is just an internal compulsion to respond immediately, take the call, reply to the text, and which “emergencies” can wait for 30 minutes, or 3 hours. Ask yourself whether this could wait until your 5 minute break. Many items are just not that pressing, and some may resolve themselves before you get around to dealing with them! Pretend you are with a client – would you pick up the phone then? (you have made an appointment with yourself and should respect your priority to a similar level). If you at least need to acknowledge the person, you Inform, negotiate and follow up. Let them know that you are currently busy, not in a position to respond… or get those around you used the phrase “I’m in the middle of a Pomodoro”! Ask if you can call back at a specific time in the future (set an alarm if needed) and follow up then. Now, log the distraction and get back to work!

If it is an emergency, or you opt to stop the Pomodoro, then you consciously CHOOSE to abandon the Pomodoro. You don’t log that one. And you start a new Pomodoro when you are able to focus again, and aim for the next one to go better!

4. When the Pomodoro rings, STOP!, Submit the Pomodoro!! (You did it!) And TAKE A BREAK!!

I have mixed feelings on this: when I am working on something creative, I often find myself in “flow” and I am just not going to interrupt that state to actually stop what I am doing. At times I will take the break, but other times, I freely admit, I just keep on rolling. Often, I just x out the 5 minute break timer and move straight into the next Pomodoro. And I’m okay with that as well – When I’m on a roll and not burning out, I am EMBRACING that positive energy!! Maybe the Pomodoro answer is to set slightly longer work intervals, and that is something I am going to experiment with!

On the other hand, the rule is STOP – you are going to want to tell yourself “but I will be DONE in 4 minutes!! I should just finish.” Remember, we are bad at estimating time and you may be lying to yourself. You may be ready to just keep going. Part of the reason for the break is to value rest, and a truly focused brain needs some downtime, and needs to conserve energy for multiple pomodoros. Open your Breathing App, use the restroom, grab a cup of coffee, go for a short walk or do some jumping jacks. I think catching up on another small task that uses less brainpower is also allowed – fold some laundry, wipe the counters, empty the dishwasher, delete some emails.

So don’t reject breaks on principle - they are essential to building your focus endurance and improve quality productivity. So give them a chance and let them work for you!

5. Now we start a new Pomodoro!
Don’t let break time suck you in… you want to be able to enjoy that short break, rest your brain, but then get right back to it, that is part of the pacing of the Pomodoro!

6. After 4 Pomodoros, take a longer break. (Default is usually 15-30 minutes)
This is a more restorative break. Give your mind a chance to process your thoughts and rest so that you can give the next set full attention! Take a walk (your dog will thank you), close your eyes for 20 minutes, clean the kitchen.

See if this method works to both immediately improve your focus on tasks at hand, AND to improve your Focusing Endurance in the long term! If it is worth doing, it is worth your full attention!

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