Hey friends,
I have wanted to share this technique with you for so long, but it kept going to the back burner as I needed a 4-year solid proof worth an undergrad degree to prove that the system works. Now that I am done with my coursework and all that awaits is my project work and graduation, I can finally talk to you about this life-changing technique.
If there is potentially one part of our lives that we could all do better in, it would be putting deep focus into our work. While we innately want to be better in our lives whether that’s in terms of our skills, our studies, or our interests, we are surrounded by distractions each calling to our attention. Even worse with apps geared specifically to draw our attention, our brains are at a loss often on what to focus on. Just like many of you I suppose, I often sit on my desk fully intent on working and somehow a few minutes later I am on page 5 of Justfab looking for boots or way deep into some rabbit hole that Reddit or Twitter led me into. Five hours in…there is no work to show and it’s lunchtime and then I am too full to think/work and suddenly it’s evening…and ooh well, “We’ll try this again tomorrow”. It’s a mess!
Enter the Pomodoro Technique…
The Pomodoro technique is a time management system that encourages people to focus deeply on their work in short bursts of time with breaks in between. The technique initially developed by Francesco Cirillo includes 25 minute intervals of intense focus followed by 5 minute breaks. According to Cirillo, we’re able to be most effective if we break the work down into short, timed intervals which he calls Pomodoros. Cirillo suggested the following simple steps to achieve this:
Decide on the task to be done.
Set the Pomodoro timer (traditionally for 25 minutes). I use the Forest app to do this as it blocks all my social media and non-urgent apps. But a simple phone/clock timer will do!
Work on the task.
End work when the timer rings and take a short break (traditionally 5 to 10 minutes).
If you have fewer than three Pomodoros, go back to Step 2 and repeat until you go through all three Pomodoros.
After three Pomodoros are done, take a long break (traditionally 20 to 30 minutes). Once the long break is finished, repeat to step 2.
I have effectively used this method for years and more often than not, it works. Apart from just helping you to concentrate on work, the Pomodoro technique allows you to get into a state of flow on those days that you couldn’t be bothered. All you need to do is to convince yourself that you just need to work for 25 minutes. It also allows you to work for long hours without feeling fatigued and overwhelmed. Again it’s just 25 minutes! Yet again, by subjecting yourself into deep focus, you get amazed by the intensity and amount of work you can get done. Finally, the Pomodoro technique allows you to be organized by giving you blocks of time to get specific types of work done.
With practice, I have been able to switch over to 50 minute intervals of deep focus followed by 10 minute breaks to make the hour. This for me is the perfect sweet spot. I have recently also seen several iterations of the Pomodoro technique such as the Animedoro technique where you work for 50 minutes and watch an anime episode or a sitcom such as Friends for 15-17 minutes skipping the intro and outro. This new iteration stems from the fact that 5-10 minutes is too short a break and is not enough of an incentive for the amount of work you put in. However, from my experience, I could easily finish a season by convincing myself that I need the reward. I would highly suggest that you give the original Pomodoro technique a try and use your breaks to take some water, reply to an urgent text and grab a snack, then adjust accordingly to suit your preference.
Whichever way you choose, I hope this simple technique will be lifechanging.
Have a great week ahead!
Ngoiri.
Interesting Stuff This Week
The Looting Machine - In this book, Tom Burgis exposes the truth about the African development miracle: for the resource states, it's a mirage. The oil, copper, diamonds, gold and coltan deposits attract a global network of traders, bankers, corporate extractors and investors who combine with venal political cabals to loot the states' value. I think every African should grab a copy of this book!
Leena Norms video- In this video, Leena shares self-care techniques she wishes she knew in her 20s. I have probably re-watched this video a hundred times. So good!
Notes to keep
Is 10 minutes of meditation a day important enough to dedicate a block to it? Reading 20 minutes a night allows you to read 15 additional books a year—is that worth two blocks? If your favorite recreation is playing video games, you’d have to consider the value you place on fun before deciding how many blocks it warrants. Getting a drink with a friend after work takes up about 10 blocks. How often do you want to use 10 blocks for that purpose, and on which friends? Which blocks should be treated as non-negotiable in their labeled purpose and which should be more flexible? Which blocks should be left blank, with no assigned purpose at all? -Tim Urban, 100 Blocks a Day