Do you wish you could be more productive in the working day? Are you finding this "new normal" a bit distracting? Do you just love researching productivity tips only to find they distract you further?!
Many people are working from home for the first time ever, or working with kids around.
We are all looking for ways to cope - and more than ever we need to manage our time in the right way.
It can be hard to get things done when we are constantly distracted by our phones, the kids, our emails, notifications etc.
Many of us use To Do lists, reminders, calendar blocking... but we still find our minds wandering and tasks not getting completed.
This is where a short burst of focus can be the savior, and one very popular productivity method is the Pomodoro Method.
Pomo what?!
Invented by Frances Cirillo in the 1980’s, the Pomodoro technique maximizes time and efficiency by blocking out a 25 minute interval to free yourself from interruption.
Tomato timer is often used as the timer, although I just use the timer on my phone.
There are six steps in the original technique:
Decide on the task to be done.
Set the pomodoro timer (traditionally to 25 minutes).
Work on the task.
End work when the timer rings and put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
If you have fewer than four checkmarks, take a short break (3–5 minutes), then go to step 2.
After four pomodoros, take a longer break (15–30 minutes), reset your checkmark count to zero, then go to step 1.
Does it work?
I must confess, I resisted this method for ages. I first heard about it from other members within the copywriting group I had joined.
But for months I dismissed it - no, no I said to myself... I already know how to be productive and I don't want to ruled by a timer - oh the pressure!
But a few months ago I thought I'd give it a go. I was finding I was getting more and more distracted working from home during the day and was willing to give it a try.
Guess what?! Yep, I loved it. I often adjust the time so rather than 25 mins I might set the timer for 45mins - set my task and get focused. I think the key is that it needs to be short bursts - not more than an hour.
Tips for productivity
Give it a go.. and tell me what you think. Are there other tips you are finding useful right now?
I am not saying this method will solve all all of your problems right now, but it might just help with a bit of stress management as it might just help you to feel a little more in control.
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