Pomodoring
14 April, 2009Resolution One has taken a sudden leap forward. The Pomodoro Technique, like all the best tools, is nice and simple: you need a pen and paper to make a tally, and a timer (traditionally a tomato-shaped kitchen timer, but a software version suffices). You work for 25 minutes (no distractions or excuses allowed), and then take a break for five (no work allowed).
I am generally a big fan of mental free-association (and of the breakpoints provided by The Game) but when I need to work it’s a tangentmongering hindrance. The similarity to meditation is startling. There you are, intending to work, and suddenly instead you are thinking about lobsters* or whatever, and you don’t even know why. 25 minutes is short enough that you don’t mind putting the tangents to one side, but long enough to get something useful done.
Also: five minutes to take a break, five minutes to make a Dangerous Cake… coincidence?
*don’t ask
ooh, liking the sound of that idea
and I just lost the game dammit!
*resigned sigh*
Oh, please don’t make that link, I don’t need to be losing every 25 minutes…
Yeah, it works very well. Virtual pair pomodoring over Skype is also surprisingly effective
Actually, that was you
“(and of the breakpoints provided by The Game)”