Pomodoro Technique (time management)

The Pomodoro Technique is a time-management technique created by Italian businessman Francesco Cirillo. The technique involves using periods of intense concentration on a particular task or activity and shorter periods of relaxation. The name comes from the tomato-shaped timer Cirillo used when developing his method, because pomodoro is “tomato” in Italian. Cirillo published a book about his technique in the 1990s, and people have been using it ever since.

Background

An Italian businessman named Francesco Cirillo invented the Pomodoro Technique. In the late 1980s, Cirillo was attending college. He felt distracted and had problems completing his studies. Eventually, he realized that much of his problem was that he was not truly concentrating for any long period of time. Cirillo decided that he needed to intensely focus on his work for a few minutes at a time. He started with a brief period, such as ten minutes, and tried to focus on one task, giving it all of his attention. He used a timer to ensure he was focusing for the entire period. As he got better at focusing for brief sessions, he increased the time. Eventually, he developed this method into the Pomodoro Technique and published his work.

Overview

The Pomodoro Technique requires people to use a timer (preferably analog), a few sheets of paper, and a pen. The individual begins by writing down the activities that a person wants to complete during the day on a sheet called the Activity Inventory Sheet. This sheet is also a place where Cirillo suggests people write down other activities that come up during the day. At the end of the day, any of the activities that are done should be marked off the list. The technique also requires a "To Do Today Sheet." Cirillo says that the "To Do Today Sheet" is where people should write down the tasks they want to complete during the day in the order of priority. The sheet should indicate about how long each task should take. It should also include a section called "Unplanned and Urgent Activities," where the worker can write down the unexpected tasks. Cirillo also suggests creating a "Records Sheet," which is for tracking the number of pomodoros completed during the day.

Then, the person begins a pomodoro. A pomodoro is the name of one thirty-minute period, which includes a twenty-five minute work session and a five-minute relaxation period. To start an activity with the Pomodoro Technique, one sets the timer to twenty-five minutes. People using the official technique use analog times that require the user to move the timer to set it. Cirillo states that setting an analog time is a ritual that the human brain will take notice of, more than pressing buttons on a screen. The analog timer will signal to the brain that the person is about to begin a test. Also, the ticking from the analog timer will help the person working to remember the urgency and the fact that time is running out. The timer should be set in front of the person working so the person can always review the amount of time of the pomodoro work period that is left. A person doing a pomodoro marks off activities on the list as they are completed and adds new activities to the end of the list as needed. During the twenty-five minutes, the person should focus intensely on the work. According to Cirillo, each pomodoro must include twenty-five minutes of work and cannot be divided or shortened.

When the timer rings, the person has to stop working, even if the activity could be completed in a few more minutes. Cirillo believes that people who strictly follow the timer and the rules will be most successful because the body and mind benefit from breaks in the work, and these breaks help people internalize the information they learned and progress they have made. The five-minute break from work has to be totally disconnected from work. It is also useful to have the five-minute break away from the work, for example by leaving the room or going for a brief walk. Cirillo suggests that people not start any project or activity during the break that requires a great deal of mental effort. Instead, the break should be relaxing or enjoyable.

After the break is over, the person should immediately begin another pomodoro by setting the timer for twenty-five minutes of work. After four pomodoros, the person should take a long break of from fifteen to thirty minutes. Again, the break should be disconnected from work. The person should complete pomodoro after pomodoro in these four-pomodoro blocks until an activity is done and marked off the list.

People can be distracted by interruptions during a pomodoro. Cirillo separates interruptions into internal and external types. Internal interruptions come from the person who is completing the pomodoro, and may be more frequent in those with short attention spans. These interruptions could include wanting to stand up to get a drink or wanting to check social media. The person completing the pomodoro is not permitted to give in to these interruptions. Cirillo suggests tracking these internal interruptions by drawing an apostrophe (’) on the "To Do Sheet" and writing down the activity (if it is important enough to track) in the "Unplanned and Urgent Activities" section. External interruptions occur when someone else tries to distract a person completing a pomodoro. Sometimes these interruptions are easy to ignore, for example by waiting to read and reply to an email or allowing a phone call to go unanswered. Sometimes people will interrupt a pomodoro. In that case, the person who is working should try to return to the pomodoro as quickly as possible and mark the interruption with a dash (-) on the sheet.

At the end of the day using the Pomodoro Technique, Cirillo suggests observing the data gathered over the day by looking at the tasks completed and the number of pomodoros completed. This can help people understand their productivity levels. This could also help them improve their productivity in the future.

Bibliography

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Elkins, Kathleen. “What I Learned from Using a Classic Productivity Technique for a Week.” Business Insider, 11 June 2015, www.businessinsider.com/productivity-trick-the-pomodoro-technique-2015-6. Accessed 18 Sept. 2024.

Headley, CW. “Everything You Need to Know About the Pomodoro Technique.” Ladders, 19 Dec. 2019, www.theladders.com/career-advice/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-pomodoro-technique. Accessed 18 Sept. 2024.

"Pomodoro Technique: How to Resist Distractions and Increase Productivity." IONOS, 12 Sept. 2023, www.ionos.co.uk/startupguide/productivity/pomodoro-technique/. Accessed 18 Sept. 2024.

“The Pomodoro Technique for Time Management.” CSU Global, 7 Oct. 2019, csuglobal.edu/blog/the-pomodoro-technique-for-time-management. Accessed 18 Sept. 2024.

Vozza, Stephanie. “The Surprisingly Simple Productivity Time Saver.” Entrepreneur, 29 May 2013, www.entrepreneur.com/article/226689. Accessed 18 Sept. 2024.