I dusted off the old Pomodoro technique to get some work done today. That’s the productivity method where you set a timer for 25 minutes to focus and then take a five-minute break. Repeat. Or, in more detail:
The Pomodoro Technique is created by Francesco Cirillo for a more productive way to work and study. The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. Each interval is known as a pomodoro, from the Italian word for ‘tomato’, after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that Cirillo used as a university student. x
There’s a free app I found that I could keep up on my screen that helped.
It is a good technique for a lot of reasons, but for me I think it works because I perversely like the pressure of the clock. It suddenly feels like a competition. It’s why The Most Dangerous Writing App can help me get unstuck during writing when I’m sure there are plenty of people who would hate that kind of pressure. Sometimes that nudge to start is all I need — in work and in writing . . . in life.
Maybe I should just Pomodoro all my routines to get back on track. Something to chew on.
With Love,
Natalie