In this deep dive, let’s take a look at each of the steps of the Pomodoro Technique and see what they really entail. This is a technique that can equally help busy professionals as well as students in mintaining focus and getting the most done with their time.
1. Choose a task you’d like to get done
Having a to-do list where you list all your pending tasks is quite helpful if you are to get the most out of this technique. The reason is, as you switch from one Pomodoro (25-minute work + 5-minute rest cycle) to another, you simply have to tick off the task you just completed and pick the next task.
Insight: Ticking something off of a list has an added psychological benefit too as it works as a small reward and a reminder that we completed something!
If you don’t have such a continuously maintained to-do list, you can still think of a task to which you’d be giving your undivided attention for the next 25 minutes. But, as you switch from one Pomodoro to another, it’s going to take a while for you to always think and figure out what needs to be done next.
Also, it’s a good practice to assess the time that a task might take before you start it. If it takes more than 25 minutes, you’ll obviously have to spend several Pomodoros for it. But, if it takes less than 25 minutes, try to group several such small tasks that would add up to 25 minutes so you can get the most out of that focused time instead of heading for the break after 11 minutes of work.
2. Set the timer for 25 minutes
Some argue that 25 minutes isn’t enough for one to get to the flow state and do deep work. I agree. But let’s be a bit more pragmatic here.
Given the nature of today’s workplace, how often do we get hours at a stretch to focus and reach the flow state? If you aren’t someone who has spent time and practiced the skills to improve your focus, what are the odds of you maintaining your focus beyond 25 minutes and entering the flow state? As you read this, I’m sure you already received at least two notifications on your phone and you may even have glanced at it before continuing the read. ;-)
For some of us, certain conversations and emails require attention and can’t be left idling for hours. And if I’m to tell you “to start this, let’s turn off all your notifications and distractions for 1.5 hours”, you’d probably say it’s impossible. Why? For we aren’t used to being disengaged from all the notifications/ communications for so long. Our work set up isn’t used to that and we haven’t built our communication strategies and boundaries to support that.
This is why the 25 minutes mark a sweet spot for the super busy pros and the amateurs alike.
Insight: As you practice this for months and get used to switching your focus instantly to the task at hand, you will start to realize that you are at the peak of your focus and can continue beyond that 25-minute mark. If you reach this point, make a conscious decision — to repeat the timer and continue work for 3 Pomodoros. That means, for 1.5 hours. At the end of that 1.5 hours, take a 20–30 minute break. The 1.5-hour period aligns with our biological clock (in the simplest terms). This is a completely separate topic called Ultradian Rhythm which we’ll cover in a different article. And since you’ve been building some boundaries and systems around you to inform others that you are doing focused work, extending that 25 minute to 1.5 hours would not be frowned upon by your colleagues.
3. Focus only on the task at hand and work on it until the timer goes off
This is where the magic happens. Picking the task, and starting the timer, both acts as cues indicating our brain that we are now about to do some real work. Also, even if some distraction happens, now we are more aware of the fact that “the timer is running and this is my focused time” — which helps a lot to shake off the minor distraction and continue to focus.
To make this extra productive, make sure to turn off all your notifications (SMS, phone calls, emails, IM apps, social media, etc.). And make sure you indicate that you are in the “focused” mode to anyone who would try to approach you. You can use the “status” feature of messaging applications to say something like “will reply within 30 minutes” to keep the online disturbances at bay. And to let the ones who’d approach you physically know that you shouldn’t be disturbed, you can do few things such as wearing your headphones, moving to a separate meeting room where you can close the door, or even hang a note on the door if you are working from home.
The first few days or weeks would be tough. But as you build that discipline and practice, switching to your own focus mode becomes much easier.
4. Take a short break of 5 minutes
Wait; what? take a break?
Yeah. Take a break.
Isn’t it counter productive to consciously step away from my work when there’s so much to do/ when I’m stuck inside a problem?
Well; not really.
There are few benefits of taking a break. Of course we have to stretch a little, walk a bit, run to the washroom, grab a glass of water. You can do all of this in this 5 minute break. Also, you can use this time to quickly check your mails, IMs, or even answer your colleague who wanted to have a quick word with you and waited nicely for the last 25 minutes!
Insight: While those being the obvious benefits, the more deeper benefits are that this break disengages you from your work. Allowing your brain to put the current task at hand to the background processes of the brain for a brief moment. The brain does something beautiful here. As the task goes to the background, the brain will try to connect it with all our previous knowledge, experiences, and even to things that aren’t really relevant to the subject. This specially helps if you’ve been breaking your brain over a problem and have hit a massive block. Most of the times, the brain would come back with a different approach, a result, as you sit down to work again. Remember the last time you spent hours trying to figure something out, but all of a sudden it “clicked” when you were having a shower? Well, this is exactly the same.
So, though you feel compelled to continue your work without taking a break, my advise is to stand up, leave your desk, and enjoy that little break.
5. Repeat steps 1–4 four times and then take a longer 15–30 minute break
The last step where you get to truly enjoy a moment for yourself. When we have so many things to do and when we feel things are piling up and they never end, how can we step away from work and feel free in our minds?
Well; it won’t be the case when you start using this method. Now, you know that you’ve done some quality work for two-hours! And trust me, that with correct focus, you’d achieve at least 3–4 hours of average work in that two hours. You know you’ve already ticked off few tasks from your to-do list which gives you the affirmation and the confidence that no matter how many things come your way, you are getting things done!
Which means, you have your peace of mind to take a proper, peaceful 30 minute break!
Conclusion
Productivity and effectiveness in work doesn’t come simply because of the tools we use. It is the awareness we build through our habits. Tools like this are mere supporters in that process.
As you may have realized from this explanation, there are many things that happens in our minds, our thinking, our surrounding, when we really know how to use a tool. Do give this a try, and let us know how it changed the way you work!
You can learn and get up to speed with this, and many more tools like this in the "Mastery Forge | Productivity Training" at www.buddhinath.com
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