Work Tool: Pomodoro and other Timers

Getting things done can be challenging.

Therefore, I often use time-based approach to keep moving forward. The most well-known of these technique is the Pomodoro (name for the tomato-shaped timer that Francesco Cirillo used). I'm not going into the details. You can learn about/use it here and here.

The point is, I set a timer and then work on whatever my current project is until the timer goes off. Then, I take a short break to refocus and set the time again.

This is especially useful for the following types of work projects:

Large projects with many steps that take multiple days
Difficult projects that take a lot of willpower to get started
Time sensitive projects

Incidentally, this also works for other types of endeavors. I've used timers to make progress on the following non-work projects:

House cleaning projects (I don't need to clean everything, I just need to work for 20 minutes)
Creative writing projects (I don't need parse perfect prose, I just need to write for 10 minutes)
Portion control (waiting 10-25 minutes before deciding if I need seconds at a meal)
Exercise, walking, and other healthy activities
And so on...

Willpower is a limited resource. So why not reduce the overhead cost of a project by setting a timer?

To-may-to. To-maw-to.

Comments

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