Who doesn’t want more free time, Right?
NOT YOUUUUU? Then stop reading right now and get back to work!
Yesterday I had a conversation with a friend of mine on performance and personal productivity. Both of us have a lot in common although we are in two vastly different professions. We both work a lot, we both try to take on way more than we should and we both usually get ourselves in deeper than we should.
So while having a chat, we realized that our personal performance was plummeting despite devoting ever more hours to the thousands of tasks we had going all at once. I’ve seen it coming for some time now and have, back a few months, implemented a time management technique that is helping me get back to being productive again, freeing up valuable time throughout my day.
What could be better than that?
Now, I’m not going to explain the exact technique but a smaller version I am using right now to finish this post in record time!
Welcome to the Pomodoro Technique (tomato in Italian).
I promise this will be quick , easy and fun !
[su_service title=”1. Create a list of what you have to do today” icon=”icon: lightbulb-o” icon_color=”#082574″]
In 5 minutes WRITE DOWN everything you should do today. No matter the order or importance. What matters is to actually write out the list. [/su_service]
[su_service title=”2. Prioritize the most important things to FINNISH today” icon=”icon: lightbulb-o” icon_color=”#082574″]
What is the most important thing on that list? Can you finish today? If not, what do you have to do to advance as much as possible with this task? [/su_service]
[su_service title=”3. Bust out your cell phone and open the clock app” icon=”icon: lightbulb-o” icon_color=”#082574″]
Do I really need to explain this? Just do it! [/su_service]
[su_service title=”4. Create a 25 minnute countdown” icon=”icon: lightbulb-o” icon_color=”#082574″]
This is the most important thing. Get that 25 minute into a countdown. This will be your first block of time and probably the most painful. [/su_service]
[su_service title=”5. Start working, UNINTERRUPTED until the time runs out.” icon=”icon: lightbulb-o” icon_color=”#082574″]
Work without any interruptions or distractions.
NO Facbook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc: Do I really need to explain?
NO email: The e-mail that has just come in can wait 25 minutes
NO calls: Don’t answer that ring. And don’t look to see who it was either. [/su_service]
[su_service title=”6. After 25 minutes, rest 5 -10 minutes” icon=”icon: lightbulb-o” icon_color=”#082574″]
Create another countdown for the rest period. The downtime is just as important as the uptime. I recommend, get up from your desk and take a walk. Talk to someone. Anything but leave the task for a bit. [/su_service]
[su_service title=”7. Rinse and Repeat until the task is done” icon=”icon: lightbulb-o” icon_color=”#082574″]
Or if you´ve finished, pat yourself on the back, rest 5 minutes and start another task. [/su_service]
The hardest part of this is to trust that it works. It DOES WORK! And it’s amazing how well it works! However, you’ll find a thousand excuses for why you can’t so it or to not even try it in the first place. Resist the temptation, try it and you’ll be amazed at what you can get done!
The idea is to focus your mind and your efforts on one thing at a time during one particular block of time. It seems like a lot of work but it’s really not.
It’s much more work having to keep track of all the tasks you did NOT finished when it comes time to go home and then have to deal with them the next day.
Using a technique like this is nothing new. Many of us do it unconsciously.
What is new is to do it consciously and routinely when we are faced with a to do list that goes on forever. As the cliche goes, it’s not about working harder, it’s about working smarter to free up more time that we all need.
So how about my experience with Pomodoro today?
I’ve finished this article, the accompanying newsletter and the Spanish version in 2 and a half hours! !
WOW!
And the best part is that I have more free time to eat some fried tomatoes!
You still dont’t want more free time ?
Try the Pomodoro technique and let me know how it went.
[su_note note_color=”#F3f3f3″ radius=”1″]
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I use http://t.co/MP7YF1H3bZ as support for tasking and pomodoring 😉
Check out http://t.co/cpcByUzU35 a web based Pomodoro tool with task management rolled in!
I like http://www.marinaratimer.com since it let’s you customize the pomodoro times and share with others on your team so you’re on the same clock.
When do you turn to the Pomodoro Technique?