Eat that Frog with a Pomodoro
During a marvelous course provided by Amal Academy, I came across a new technique for time management knows as Pomodoro technique. This Pomodoro Technique is a time management philosophy developed by Francesco Cirillo. It is based on working in 25-minute intervals and using a timer to keep yourself accountable. The name comes from the Italian word for “tomato” (the kitchen timer that Cirillo first used was shaped like a tomato). At first, I was reluctant to try this techniquet as to how it would affect my performance and would I be able to convince myself to finish it successfully in the first place.
But after trying it at first, I must say I got a knack for it. Now I am an ardent believer in the Pomodoro Technique as one of the best ways to stop procrastinating and, you know, get some work done. Honestly, you could just stop right here and have all you need to know to execute the Pomodoro Technique and kick procrastination right out of your way. Here are three reasons it is so effective:
It externalizes discipline. Since your willpower is limited, there is only so much you can do to “force yourself” to complete a task. This uses up a lot of energy that you would be better off devoting to other things such as, well, doing your actual work. Using a timer takes that burden off you and places it on an external machine that, barring power failure, does not get tired and does not care if you’d rather be doing something else.
It reframes output-based tasks to input-based. A task like “write a ten-page paper on the decline and fall of the Roman Empire” is huge and intimidating. You have no idea how long that will take, and the sheer size of it is enough to bring the procrastination demons to the surface. The Pomodoro Technique avoids this problem by setting a fixed amount of time-based input for each task. You can do almost anything for 25 minutes, after all, particularly when you have a timer to remind you it will be over soon.
It gets distractions out of your mind. Making note of distractions gets them out of your mind and severs the connection between a craving for distraction and acting on that craving. Over time, this trains your ability to focus.
If you have a large and varied to-do list, using the Pomodoro Technique can help you crank through projects faster by forcing you to adhere to strict timing. Watching the timer wind down can spur you to wrap up your current task more quickly and spreading a task over two or three Pomodoro’s can keep you from getting frustrated. The constant timing of your activities makes you more accountable for your tasks and minimizes the time you spend procrastinating. You will grow to “respect the tomato,” and that can help you to better handle your workload. If you have never tried the Pomodoro Technique, it could be the key to breaking through the barrier of procrastination. I hope you have found my implementation guide helpful and that it brings you much success in your studying.