Jan 15 2012
Pomodoro ~ Trendy new hairstyle? New Techy Gadget? Exotic Animal?
Is it a new flu virus? Or some kind of weird weather phenomenon? Maybe the next high-end fashion designer?? Maybe a shoe?! or a bag?!?! Nope … none of the above. It is actually Italian meaning “tomatoes” but in this case, believe it or not, it is a time management technique. Yep … something real to help you out with time management! Not a new shoe, or trendy bag, not an animal or crazy new virus, and not something to make spaghetti sauce with 
Just a simple technique to make your life a little easier. … hopefully! LOL
So what is the Pomodoro Technique?
The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. The technique uses a timer to break down periods of work into 25-minute intervals called ‘Pomodoros’ separated by breaks. The method is based on the idea that frequent breaks can improve mental agility.
There are five basic steps to implementing the technique:
- decide on the task to be done
- set the pomodoro (timer) to 25 minutes
- work on the task until the timer rings; record with an x
- take a short break (5 minutes)
- every four “pomodoros” take a longer break (15–20 minutes)
*** the above was taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique ***
I read about this a couple weeks ago, I really cannot remember where, but I had mentioned on my fb page (http://www.facebook.com/bloggingwithgypsy) the other day that I was seriously thinking of implementing this “25 minutes on / 5 minutes off” technique. And, without missing a beat, my favorite go-to gal Michelle posted a link to a cool tool called Focus Booster!
Focus Booster (http://www.focusboosterapp.com/) is a cool little app that you can download and open on your desktop. It looks like this:
I haven’t tried the online version, but I did download it and I have used it all morning And I have to say that it will definitely get it’s worth in use. I can use this for EVERYTHING for computer tasks, laundry, decluttering, crafting, writing, all kinds of tasks! YAY!
If you don’t want to download the app, use a kitchen timer! Set it for 25 minutes, then set it for 5 minutes … then reset it for another 25 … you get the picture! LOL But I really think the Pomodoro technique is worth a whirl!
***tomato timer image credit http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Il_pomodoro.jpg ***
Do you implement something like this to help with your tasks? Go ahead and use the comment box below! I would love to hear your own time management ideas and techniques!
