Is The Pomodoro Technique Effective?

Online, March 9, 2011 (Newswire.com) - The short answer to the question posed in the title is: "It depends who you ask." Some people love the Pomodoro Technique; others loathe it.

This famous time management method was devised by Italian entrepreneur Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s to improve his studying methods. It's a simple method which consists of allocating tasks to short time-slots (pomodoros); blocking-out distractions during pomodoros; taking short breaks at the end of each pomodoro to remain fresh, and to switch mental gears in preparation for the next pomodoro.

The article below provides a good overview of the technique, and provides links to some useful free resources.

The Pomodoro Technique: Is It Right For You?

If you spend any time at all researching life hacks, you've probably heard of the famous Pomodoro Technique. Created in the 1980s by Francesco Cirillo, the Pomodoro Technique is one of the more popular time management life hacks used today. But this method isn't for everyone, and for every person who is a passionate adherent of the system, there is another person who is critical of the results.

Is the Pomodoro Technique right for you? It's a matter of personal preference. But if you are curious about the benefits of using the technique, this article will break down the basic information you will need to decide if this technique is worth trying out.

What is it?

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management philosophy that aims to provide the user with maximum focus and creative freshness, thereby allowing them to complete projects faster with less mental fatigue.

The process is simple. For every project throughout the day, you budget your time into short increments and take breaks periodically. You work for 25 minutes, then take a break for five minutes.

Each 25-minute work period is called a "pomodoro", named after the Italian word for tomato. Francesco Cirillo used a kitchen timer shaped like a tomato as his personal timer, and thus the method's name.

After four "pomodoros" have passed, (100 minutes of work time with 15 minutes of break time) you then take a 15-20 minute break.

Every time you finish a pomodoro, you mark your progress with an "X", and note the number of times you had the impulse to procrastinate or switch gears to work on another task for each 25-minute chunk of time.

How can it help you?


Frequent breaks keep your mind fresh and focused. According to the official Pomodoro website, the system is easy to use and you will see results very quickly: "You will probably begin to notice a difference in your work or study process within a day or two. True mastery of the technique takes from seven to twenty days of constant use."

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 pomodoros 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'll grow to "respect the tomato", and that can help you to better handle your workload.

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