We all have to admit that procrastination is our arch-enemy, despite how fun it may be taking a break from studying for a while…or two hours. Yep, every student will agree that it’s the sort of habit invading our study routines.
When it comes to conquering procrastination, there are several ways, but the simplest and most effective strategy for me has been the Pomodoro technique.
The technique is a time-management and productivity strategy invented by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s. It emerged when Cirillo noticed that when confronted with horrible, lengthy tasks, we’re able to produce work quicker and at a higher quality if we break down the tasks into short, timed intervals with 5-minute breaks in between. The name “Pomodoro” comes from the Italian word for “tomato”, as Cirillo used a tomato-shaped timer to track his work at University. Clever!
In this post, we’re going to go through how the Pomodoro technique plays a vital role in defeating procrastination and how you can implement this seriously-simple method!
Hard Work Does Not Equal Success- The Theory
The Pomodoro technique is famous for being fast and sustainable because it cuts out the torture of working long hours. I recently discovered a Mindvalley video by Vishen Lakhiani titled “The Lie Behind Working Hard For Success ” in which he debunks the belief of “working hard”. This ties in closely with the Pomodoro method, which eliminates burnout, improving motivation and efficiency.
Vishen shows that we move our way up the four levels of consciousness, as we realise that we can get more work done with less effort. By not “breaking themselves with hard work” many successful people immediately put themselves at the higher end of the spectrum. This highlights that spending a prolonged period on one task can hinder performance and that’s when the Pomodoro technique comes into play.
Using the Pomodoro Technique
Now you know how important the Pomodoro technique is, how does it work? Well, here’s how you do it:
- Choose only one task that you’d like to get done
- Set the timer for 25 minutes and work on that task (that means no getting up until the session is over, even if it means sacrificing those pringles right across the room)
- Take note of distractions (like those pringles). Whenever you start thinking about other things you’d rather be doing, write it down on paper.
- When the timer rings, take a 5-minute break. Now’s your time to treat yourself, but it’s not over yet.
- Repeat the process 3 more times, before taking a longer break of 15-20 minutes. Then start again.
This cycle will maintain your focus and make you more productive. 🙂
Advantages
Now you’re probably curious to know why the strategy works so well. Here’s what makes it so effective:
- It helps to manage distractions, improving focus and the rate at which work is produced.
- You’re taking the burden of working harder off you!
- It makes the size of a large task seem less intimidating by breaking it down into small chunks.
- It teaches you to work with time, not against it (making the timer your next best friend)
- By writing distractions onto paper, you forget thinking about them and in the long-term, your brain is more trained to focus.
Making it Better
A Simple Way to Get Started
I recently came across a useful and easy way of getting used to the Pomodoro technique. Toptal has recently launched their Tomato Timer that is completely free and straightforward to use. It’s a web-based tool that reduces brain fog to help stay on task and maintains productivity.
As well as setting 25 minute sessions, you can add in short or long breaks in-between depending on your energy levels, which helped me avoid staying off task for too long and personalise my study sessions even more. There are also handy keyboard shortcuts and setting options to make the entire experience a breeze. So if you want to cut out the fuss of finding a way to get started, this tool may be your best bet!
Go and Make Cirillo Proud!
Now’s the time to put this amazing strategy to use. To make this technique even easier to implement, check out some Pomodoro apps that I recommend. If you want to see this technique in action, I saved almost half an hour typing up this blog post with the Pomodoro technique. That’s an improvement!
I hope you found this article useful and much-needed. Go ahead and give this a go if you haven’t already. If you have any tips on how you made the Pomodoro technique more suited towards you, comment down below!
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