Have you ever heard about Pomodoro?
Here is a bit of background about how Pomodoro reached me
One day my son ran to me and said, "Mom, do you know Pomodoro?". I had no idea what Pomodoro meant. Then he started explaining about what Pomodoro was and how he would use that to complete his boring task (ie. writing). Basically he and his dad set a timer to complete a particular task (especially when he didn't like that task). He explained because he was still a kid, daddy told him to set the timer for 15mins only while his dad was 25mins to complete a specific task. It seems this technique went well for both of them, and he was able to complete his work earlier on that day so that he could have more time to play soccer in the afternoon. However, he was usually interested in doing something for just a few days. At that time, I didn't bother exploring this Pomodoro thing more.
It's been a while, and I received an email from "Taco from Trello" as usual (If you access the Trello board, Trello will send emails once per month to introduce all ways of improving our working), and I opened the email this time as the topics sound attractive. There is a blog called "How To Use The Pomodoro Method For A Permanently Productive Life".
Hmm, it is exciting, and especially it seems I heard the term Pomodoro somewhere. I read the articles and realised I face the same struggles as Chris.
Here is how Pomodoro works
Choose a few important tasks you'd like to accomplish.
Set a kitchen timer for 25 minutes (preferably, a tomato timer) --> I used my watch instead :-)
Work on the task until the timer goes off.
Take a short break — you earned it! This break should be about five minutes and marks the completion of one "Pomodoro".
Complete your next Pomodoro by repeating steps 1 through 4 in intervals.
After every four Pomodoros, take a longer break, preferably one lasting 20 minutes or longer.
My experiment result
I convinced myself to try it when I work from home as it's worth trying.
On the first day, I tried to do 4 Pomodoro in the morning. Amazingly, I could complete all planned tasks in the morning. I didn't apply this technique in the afternoon, where I lost focus due to many things happening around me. I started to work as usual on the following date without applying this technique. Then in the afternoon, I felt I still had a lot of things to do, and my body seemed very tired. I worked late on that date to finish those planned tasks.
At that time, I realised that the Pomodoro technique made me more concentrated and boosted my productivity. I also enjoy doing my work when I reflect on many completed daily tasks.
This method requires discipline, and we have to prioritise our work during the day before starting the timer. However, I think they are all good habits to build.
I hope you can join me (if you haven't done it) and many people worldwide who are using this technique to improve their lives.
For more details about the blog I read, you can read here:
https://blog.trello.com/how-to-pomodoro-your-way-to-productivity