More love for the pomodoro timer
The pomodoro timer productivity method is simple and effective. Named after those little tomato-shaped kitchen timers (“pomodoros”), this method has you setting a timer for a period of time, working on one thing, and then taking a short break.
Commonly, folks will work for 25 minutes on, and five minutes off. When I started using this method, I worked for 48 minutes on, 12 minutes off. Sometimes for my writing sessions, I’ll go 90 minutes on, 20 minutes off.
The length of the timer depends on the nature of your work. Are you working on shorter tasks that should take too long? Opt for a shorter working session. Do you have a long project that you need to make consistent progress on throughout the day? 50 minutes on might work best for you. Do you need to have a shot boost of focus for an artistic project? Maybe one longer session of 90-120 minutes will work for you.
The key here is to only work on one thing. Part of the reason it feels difficult to generate momentum and make quick progress on your projects is because your focus is split between too many things. The timer on your desktop helps remind you that you only have to focus on one thing until it goes off.
