The Pomodoro Technique
Introduction
The Pomodoro Technique is an effective Time Management technique devised by a young Italian student by the name Francesco Cirillo to help him in his studies. He used a kitchen timer in the shape of a tomato to time his studies, that’s how this technique got its name since Pomodoro stands for Tomato in Italian.
So when he began to study a particular topic he would concentrate on that topic and give his full undivided attention to that topic for a period of 25 minutes, then follow that with a short break of 5 minutes. This short break helped him to refresh and rejuvenate his mind. He resumed another Pomodoro session after the break.
How do I use the Pomodoro Technique ?
In order for you to use this technique, you must choose one specific task you wish to accomplish. Then work for a period of 25 minutes towards achievement of that specific task , making progress. You could time your Pomodoro session using a simple kitchen timer, or a timer on your smart phone.
Once you reach the 25 minutes on the timer or complete one Pomodoro session, you take a break of 5 minutes to relax and refresh your mind. It is important to remember that you may not complete a task during one Pomodoro session, but the important thing is that you make progress towards achieving the task on hand. You can take one or several Pomodoro sessions to complete a particular task.
Tip
Take short breaks of 5 minutes after each Pomodoro session. Remember after every 4 Pomodoro sessions take a longer break, (15–30 minutes).
Why do I work in short bursts of Time?
The brain usually gets tired when you concentrate on a specific task for prolonged periods of time. So if a task is broken down as smaller subtasks this would be beneficial in performing the tasks more efficiently and you would get better results.
What if I am interrupted during a Pomodoro session?
If you are interrupted during a Pomodoro session you need to restart the Pomodoro session again for a period of 25 minutes. The objective is to train your mind to work in bursts of 25 minutes and then relax to recharge your mind.
Resources
Pomodoro Technique Video – by IGNITE
Pomodoro Technique Resources
http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/
Pomodoro Technique Book
http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/book/
Pomodoro Goodies
http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/goodies/
10 Tips to Overcome Procrastination.
“Procrastination makes easy things hard, hard things harder.”
– Mason Cooley
1. Maintain a To Do List
Do not rely on memory to remember things. Put your tasks down on paper or in electronic form. It is very important to Maintain a To Do List as your first step to overcoming procrastination.
2. Find the Why
Ask yourself why are you doing a particular task, or Why is this goal important to you. This will help you to filter out unimportant tasks.
3. Divide and Conquer.
A large goal or a large task may seem intimidating to you and you may get discouraged to take up this task or goal thus procrastinating, the solution is to divide your big task into smaller manageable tasks.
4. Identify your distractions.
Distraction may be Television, Social Media, Long conversations on the Phone and many others, the key is to identify your distraction and try to limit them.
5. Block Time for specific tasks.
Schedule time for your most critical tasks. Also schedule a time for distractions like television, social media, once you have finished your important tasks.
6. Identify the 20% tasks which give you 80% of your results.
You will find that certain tasks are most critical towards meeting your Goal, so you must identify these key tasks.
7. Do whatever it takes to finish the most critical tasks.
Once you have identified the most important tasks you must give whatever it takes to finish those key tasks. Avoid Excuses, think of the benefits you would gain by completing these tasks.
8. Join a support group
Join a support group of like minded people (like a mastermind group or a group of friends with similar goals), who would cheer you along your path to your goal and hold you accountable if you falter.
9. Remind yourself of the consequences.
Ask yourself, what are the consequences of not doing the task.
10. Celebrate your Victories.
Do not forget to reward yourself along the way this motivates you and prepares you to face bigger challenges.
I would like to conclude this post with the quote
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”
-Lau Tzu
Your tasks may seem very large or intimidating but taking the first step is the most important action towards reaching your goal and overcoming procrastination.
Procrastination
“Procrastination is the bad habit of putting of until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.”
– Napoleon Hill
In our lives, there are important tasks we love to push over to the next day because they appear to be boring and mundane. When we keep pushing important tasks to the next day or say to ourselves, “I will do it later” recognize that you have been bitten by the procrastination bug, well not literally.
So what is Procrastination?
Procrastination happens when you do something that is more fun and enjoyable or that you are more comfortable at doing instead of doing important tasks that would ultimately lead you to your goals.
When you procrastinate it signals the failure to focus, and when you fail to focus on activities which would lead you to your goal, you often tend to lose sight of your goal, and thus your goals become a distant dream, buried in the unwanted activities which would leave you unproductive and feeling empty.
How do I recognize when I Procrastinate?
To control procrastination you must begin to recognize when you start to procrastinate and be aware of it.
An example of procrastination could be, say if your goal was to be fit and get in shape, then one of your major activities to reach this goal would be to exercise on a daily basis. Exercising daily could be monotonous and boring although a major requirement in order to reach your goal of being fit and getting in shape, so you may tend to instead watch your favorite program on TV, or catch up with your friends on Facebook as these activities are more fun to do. Soon you would be so caught up in these fun activities that you would forget about your exercise routine.
Does this sound familiar?
Well, Procrastination happens because normally as human beings we tend to choose the easier route if we are provided with two options.
So watching TV or browsing the Internet instead of exercising would be an easy and fun option as it requires less effort and we are comfortable with it. Well, this was just an example.
When we get into the habit of procrastination its effects can be very disastrous. Say if you are a professional and if you procrastinate, delaying critical tasks could have an adverse effect on your career and promotions. If you are a student, procrastination would drastically affect your results and grades. If you feel unwell and sick and procrastinate on meeting a doctor or seeking medical help, the consequences could be life threatening. So you see, everyone seems to be affected by procrastination.
“Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy. “
– Wayne Gretzky
You must try hard to break the habit of procrastination if you need to move ahead in your life and become successful.
In the next post I will give you some Important Tips and Insights on How to Overcome Procrastination in your life.
Tips for Setting Goals
This video gives you insights into setting goals to succeed in life.
Setting Goals you can achieve.
Introduction.
Just as a Sailor has a map when he sets out on a voyage, in the same way it is important for us to have a proper map before we set out on the journey of life. In most walks of life this seems to be true, consider an architect going ahead with a building without a proper blueprint in place, things would turn out to be a disaster. So planning and setting goals is paramount if we want to be successful in life.
What are Goals ?
Goals help us to set our objectives and helps us move towards accomplishing various human needs like Financial needs ( To be debt free, save for retirement and so on), Emotional needs ( Have better relationships, better family bonding), Physical needs (Staying fit, exercising regularly, losing weight), Spiritual needs ( Connecting with the higher power, doing charitable works).
So an example of a financial goal could be, “I want to be debt free by 31st of December” , or a Physical goal could be, “I want to lose 20 pounds by Christmas”.
Why is Goal Setting Important ?
Goals give you a roadmap or direction towards reaching your desired outcome in life. Goals keeps you committed and focused, so you always know what you are aiming for. This helps you accomplish tasks easily and be less overwhelmed.
What are the types of Goals ?
Goals could be Short Term, which could range from 3-6 months to 1 year. Medium Term, which could be any where from 2 – 5 years. Finally Long Term, which could be anywhere in the range from 10 – 20 years. So basically all your goals will fall into one of these 3 categories.
What are the Components of a Goal?
Goals should be
Specific
This means the goal must be clear and unambiguous.
Measurable
If a goal cannot be measured, it is not possible to determine whether you are making progress towards its successful completion.
Attainable
It means goals that are realistic and not impossible.
Relevant
It is important to choose goals that matter. Ask yourself the question is this goal worthwhile?
Time Bound
Set a deadline or a target date for completing a goal.
How can I set Goals ?
The first step towards goal setting is to identify the area in which you would like to set your goal. This could be Financial, Emotional, Physical or Spiritual. Now write down your goals in each of these areas you choose. Keep writing down all goals you would like to accomplish in each of these four sections till you have a long list.
Now identify your Short, Medium and Long Term Goals. After this shortlist your most important Short, Medium and Long term goals. If you have set very big goals it might be a better idea to divide bigger goals into smaller manageable sub goals.
For any goal to be a success, it is essential to ask the key question why is this goal important for me. List down all the reasons below each of your goals why is that goal really important for you. This process gives you the passion or inner drive, which is the fuel that steers you towards reaching your goal.
Next, set specific deadlines for your goals. Goals without deadlines seldom get accomplished. Finally, revisit your Goals on a regular basis. This helps to keep you on track towards accomplishing your goal.
How can I stay motivated when I start to pursue my goal?
When your Goals are enormous in size, it is normal that after working on your goals for a few days you may lose interest, and may consider quitting.
The best way to overcome Goal fatigue is to divide your goals into smaller sub goals or milestones. This helps you to accomplish your smaller sub goals much easily and when you accomplish a milestone you feel motivated. It is a good idea to celebrate achieving milestone, consider rewarding yourself on achieving a milestone, this could be as simple as going out for a movie or going to your favorite restaurant.
Another good strategy to keep yourself motivated is to work with like minded people, for example if you workout at a gym, you could consider having a gym partner. This not only keeps you more accountable towards your goal, but also your peer group can give you valuable tips and insights, which can help you reach your goals much faster.
Conclusion.
Just as the old saying goes, “If we fail to plan, we plan to fail”, it is very important for each one of us to set goals in our life and take action to accomplish each set goal.
How do I make To Do Lists ?
This video gives you tips on how to create and use a To Do List.