Pomodoro Technique

Aren’t tomatoes the tomatoes we often eat? What is the Pomodoro Technique? The Pomodoro Technique is a simple and effective time management method. Its general principle is to divide a long day into small time periods, use a "Pomodoro"-like clock to set a fixed time countdown period, and only focus on doing one thing during a Pomodoro period. , rest for a few minutes after the timer expires and then start the next Pomodoro cycle.

The Pomodoro Technique can help people overcome procrastination and improve work efficiency. This book "The Pomodoro Technique Illustrated" is based on the author Steve Noteberg's own experience in using the Pomodoro Technique. He uses vivid language and vivid pictures to tell us how to use the Pomodoro Technique for effective time management. How to deal with various emergencies within a Pomodoro and improve work efficiency.

First of all, I want to ask you a question. Do you suffer from procrastination in your work life? Do you always have things to do every day? Always having trouble focusing your time and attention? Do you often spend a lot of time occupied by trivial things? Do you feel that you have been busy with small things all day long, but have not done any big things? Every day is in a haze, without any sense of direction or accomplishment?

If you have the above situation, it is because you have not arranged your time well and have not found the correct time management method.

What to do? Is there any simple and effective way for us to overcome procrastination and use our time efficiently?

Of course! The book "Illustrated Pomodoro Technique" introduced today introduces us to a very simple and easy-to-implement time management method.

First, let me introduce the Pomodoro Technique and the origin of this book.

The Pomodoro Technique was created by Francisco Cirillo. During college, he felt that his learning efficiency was very low, so he made a bet with himself and forced himself to focus on studying, even if it was just for 10 minutes. Later, he found a kitchen timer to count the time, so as to concentrate Attention, I found that my learning efficiency has been greatly improved. Because the kitchen timer is shaped like a "tomato", this management practice is called the Pomodoro Technique.

The author of this book is Steve Nottberg, a programmer from Sweden. He is a personal practitioner of the Pomodoro Technique. In the book, he uses pictures and texts to describe the Pomodoro Technique. The theories, methods, techniques and precautions of the working method are explained to us one by one. ?

So, what exactly is the Pomodoro Technique?

The Pomodoro Technique starts with a 25-minute cycle and stops immediately after the alarm goes off. This period of time counts as one Pomodoro. Take a 3 to 5 minute break between each Pomodoro to combine work and rest. ? Take a big break after every 4 Pomodoros, lasting 15 to 20 minutes. It should be noted that the time of a Pomodoro is indivisible. When the Pomodoro timer sounds, it means that you must stop the work at hand. Even if you think you can finish it immediately in the remaining few minutes, you cannot continue. Work.

The core of the Pomodoro Technique is "focus on the present", that is, focusing on the "now". The meaning is not to stick to the 25-minute format, but to make you cherish every minute of the moment more. If you overcome your laziness and complete each Pomodoro effectively, your work efficiency will be greatly improved, and you will also gain a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

So, how do we implement our own Pomodoro at work?

According to the book, the Pomodoro Technique includes the following five stages: planning, tracking, recording, processing, and visualization, which is review and summary.

The first stage, planning. Specifically, at the beginning of each day, extract the most important items from all the activities to be done and list them on paper in order.

The second stage is tracking. After determining all the activities for the day, start the Pomodoro and execute each activity in the order listed on the paper. During the process, you need to track and collect various data on the work process, such as the progress of work completion, the number of forced interruptions, etc.

Record every three stages. At the end of the day, archive and record all the data collected that day.

Every four stages, processing. Processing is to analyze the recorded data and extract useful information from it.

The fifth stage, visualization. Based on the information recorded and compiled, review the day's work again, analyze and find out ideas for improvement, so as to obtain the method that best suits your actual habits.

In one sentence, plan at the beginning of the day, record, process and visualize at the end of the day, and track in between.

In the process of implementing the Pomodoro Technique, we also need to prepare some auxiliary tools.

First, we need to prepare three pieces of paper and a pen.

The first piece of paper is to record what you need to do in the near future. Write down all the things you need to do in the near future on paper, just like you would make a list when you go to the supermarket to buy things, except that the records here are not things to buy, but things to be completed. This paper can be used for many days. New items can be added at any time as new items come to mind, and they can be crossed out when completed.

The second piece of paper is to record what you need to do today. Specifically, before starting work every day, select the most important and urgent tasks in the near future, write them on a second piece of paper based on the time that can be allocated that day, and plan the number of Pomodoros required to perform this task. Be careful not to exceed the maximum number of Pomodoros you can tolerate every day, so as not to fail to complete the task and give yourself a sense of loss.

The third piece of paper records daily execution and completion. Such as the total number of interruptions encountered during execution, evaluation of completion quality, etc. Recording these is to summarize and summarize while reviewing.

When we start the Pomodoro, we must first execute it according to the plan and the records on the second piece of paper. Take a short break after every Pomodoro, usually 3-5 minutes, and take a long break after every 4 Pomodoros, about 15-20 minutes. Don’t think about the Pomodoro during your break. After the break, review the task priority and decide whether to continue the same task or switch to a higher priority task. It is forbidden to switch tasks during the Pomodoro. If the scheduled work has been completed during the Pomodoro, review the completed work and review it again.

After executing the Pomodoro according to the plan, we need to track, record, analyze and process and visualize the summary. This is the purpose of the third piece of paper. The recording and review of the third paper is for more effective self-examination and optimization of the Pomodoro Technique.

I just talked about how to set a Pomodoro timer, and now I’m going to talk about how to deal with unexpected interruptions.

For example, when you are focusing on doing something within a Pomodoro, the phone on the desk suddenly rings, or the boss next door asks you to come to his office, or you suddenly feel urgent and need to go to the toilet. …Wait a minute, what should you do when encountering these emergencies?

According to the author's introduction, the Pomodoro Technique divides this kind of interruption into two types, one is internal interruption and the other is external interruption.

The so-called internal interruption refers to the interruption caused by itself, and is divided into controllable interruption and uncontrollable interruption.

Interruptions can be controlled, such as getting up to get a drink of water, calling a friend, or suddenly thinking of sending a file to a colleague. The solution is to record it as an urgent task in today's to-do list and wait until a certain Pomodoro to complete it, ensuring that the current work does not stop.

Uncontrollable interruptions, such as wanting to go to the toilet. At this time, you need to scrap the Pomodoro you are working on, resolve the interruption, and then restart a new Pomodoro. Pay special attention not to continue the previous Pomodoro after an interruption, so as not to disrupt the rhythm.

The so-called external interruption refers to interference from the outside world. It is further divided into interrupts that can be postponed and interrupts that need to be executed immediately.

The interruption can be postponed, for example, if a friend calls you to ask you a question, etc., then you can clearly inform him of your situation and discuss postponing the reply or solution. Then add this interruption content to today's to-do list, set it to a certain Pomodoro time to complete, and be careful not to stop the work at hand.

We have introduced deferrable interruptions. Now let’s talk about interruptions that need to be executed immediately. For example, if your boss calls you to his office, etc., then you need to scrap the Pomodoro you are working on and wait until the matter is resolved. Start a new Pomodoro timer again.

In short, whether it is an external interruption or an internal interruption caused by ourselves, as long as we make good judgment and deal with it calmly, we can use the Pomodoro Technique to handle the matters at hand and manage our time well.

The above introduces the principle and how to implement the Pomodoro Technique, so what details should we pay attention to in specific use?

First, it should be emphasized that the 25 minutes of Pomodoro work are only suggestions given to us by the author after being tested in practice. We can make changes after recording and analyzing them ourselves. For example, if you are practicing There are too many interruptions in the process, so consider shortening the Pomodoro cycle time. But each change should be made two weeks after the last change was implemented to determine whether it is really not suitable for you. Because long-term practice can truly reflect whether the cycle time is appropriate, and too frequent changes will only disrupt the rhythm and disrupt the work.

The second point is to focus on the current Pomodoro time. When it is completed, jump to the next Pomodoro time. In other words, you need to focus on the present moment instead of thinking randomly during the Pomodoro time.

Third, the break between each Pomodoro must be a real break, doing nothing. If your hands stop working after the bell rings for 25 minutes, but your mind is still thinking about work, this is not a real break. Real rest is to keep your actions and thoughts unified, and to empty your thoughts and head. You can be in a daze for a while, or you can take a nap. This is what we often call recharging your energy. Only when you are well rested can you be in a better state for the next Pomodoro, and your work efficiency will be greatly improved! ?

Fourth point, if you finish the task at hand before the Pomodoro timer rings, don’t rush to start the next task. At this time, you can use the remaining Pomodoro time to review what you have done before. What you learned, or check in on what you did, record what you did until the bell rings. Reviewing the past and learning the new can also make you improve.

The fifth point is that we need to persist in self-observation and analysis. The old saying, "I will examine myself three times a day" is also true. After every few Pomodoros, you should observe and analyze yourself to see if your time planning is unreasonable, or if you are interrupted by many chores. What's the reason? What countermeasures should be taken? Continuously improve on the initial basis. Self-change is a long-term and difficult process. Only by continuous self-observation and analysis and proposing small improvement methods can the original bad habits be slowly changed.

We have finished explaining the principles and methods of the Pomodoro Technique before, so what are the other highlights of this book?

The first highlight of this book is to analyze the possibility of implementing the Pomodoro Technique based on human physiological structure.

The structure of the human brain is divided into four levels: brainstem, limbic system, cortex, and frontal lobe. The brainstem provides us with a reliable conditioned reflex mechanism, the limbic system helps us with long-term memory, the cerebral cortex enables us to recognize and think, and the frontal lobe enables us to remember, judge, analyze, invent, etc.

The author points out in the book: "Scientific research shows that our left and right brains have different divisions of labor. Performing the same actions and procedures can make the brain adjust itself to the best state, while arbitrarily changing the rhythm will cause the brain to Chaos. This is like setting a Pomodoro timer, setting a fixed time as a cycle, recording and executing it every day, and not changing the cycle time easily. After the brain adapts to the Pomodoro cycle, it will form a conditioned reflex and concentrate immediately when the alarm clock rings. Get into work mode.

“In addition, research also shows that the brain can provide us with new ideas and new insights when it is not thinking about problems. Without rest, the brain has to make up for the lack of dopamine production, making people prone to anxiety and inefficient. So the brain needs regular rest, both short and longer.

"This is just like the 3-5 minutes of rest we arrange in the middle of each Pomodoro cycle, and the 15-20 minute break between every 4 Pomodoros. The purpose of rest is to gain new energy and then improve the performance of the next Pomodoro. Work efficiency within the clock.

The second highlight of this book is the prediction method used in the Pomodoro Technique, which is what we often say: don’t always look down to pull the car, but also look up at the road. For example, if you want to start a company, you must make various budgets in advance. The same is true for work. Before the day starts, you need to estimate the time schedule for the day.

The estimate in the Pomodoro Technique. , that is, estimate the number of Pomodoros required for the items on the day's list in advance every morning. At the same time, you need to write down the estimated and actual number of Pomodoros when recording, so that you can adjust the estimate. Forecasting results can increase your enthusiasm for doing things.

To summarize: Forecasting is a plan made in advance based on your own experience, including time allocation, priorities, etc. Make good records and do what you need to do. You have a clear idea of ??what to do and have clear goals. The significance of estimation is that you can better grasp every moment, make reasonable use of your "Pomodoro", improve work efficiency, and find the most suitable working style and time management method.

The third highlight of this book is the review method mentioned repeatedly in the article. When you first start to implement the Pomodoro Technique, you must review the day's schedule at the end of each day in order to better implement your own Pomodoro. Find the Pomodoro Technique that suits you. Not only do you need to review and review within a short period of time after learning, but you also need to review continuously after one day, a week, a month or six months later to enhance your memory.

Don’t think of doing anything once and for all. Even the world’s top pianists can only achieve their level of performance through constant practice and hard training. , only by constant review will the resistance to this part of the mind and memory gradually decrease, and only through quantitative changes can qualitative changes occur.

The fourth highlight of this book is to introduce us to how to take an effective rest. The main purpose of taking a short break between two Pomodoros is to allow the brain to relax and process the previously absorbed knowledge, so you should refuse to do anything that will cause additional stress to the brain. The article introduces the following ways to quickly enter relaxation.

The first is to step away from the current work state, put down the phone or email, stand up and take a walk, drink some water, and make a cup of coffee.

The second is to find a comfortable chair or sofa to lie down, find your most relaxed posture, and let your whole body relax.

The third is to use your full imagination, such as imagining a scanner. You scan from head to toe, focusing on every part beyond the reach of the light band, allowing the muscles of the whole body to relax.

The goal during the Pomodoro is to focus on high-quality work and rest. The goal during this period is to carry out focused and high-quality relaxation, regulate your tense cranial nerves, maintain your brain, and keep you energetic throughout the day.

The fifth highlight of this book is the introduction of the application of the Pomodoro Technique in teams. The Pomodoro Technique is not just a time management method for individuals, it is adaptable and can also be used in duos, meetings and multi-person teams.

How is the Pomodoro Technique used in meetings? First, use a whiteboard to list the entire agenda to be completed during the meeting, sorted by priority. Then turn on the Pomodoro and work on the first agenda item. Stop after the bell rings. After the break, start the Pomodoro at the same time for the next agenda item. Following this approach, the efficiency of meetings will be greatly improved.

When two people use the Pomodoro timer together, they must pay attention to the rhythm. The two people must maintain communication at all times to achieve synchronization between working and resting states. The same is true when multiple people in the team use the Pomodoro timer together. Plan ahead, establish the team's method of doing things, maintain internal communication, unify the pace, track progress at any time, and the team works together to complete the to-do items.

In general, the most important thing about the Pomodoro Technique is that it allows you to simplify your time and tasks and break them into parts. Break down the goals and make them clear and specific. Set a goal every day, then execute it within a Pomodoro, rest, judge the priority, then continue to execute the next Pomodoro, record at the same time, and finally analyze and improve.

When you use the Pomodoro Technique to do things, you will find that your work is no longer messy, your time is arranged in an orderly manner, your efficiency is greatly improved, and you are more valued by your boss. Similarly, if you use the Pomodoro Technique to lead a team, you will find that team cohesion and execution capabilities will be greatly improved.