The Secret To Become More Productive

byWilfred2016

226 followers

Updated 7 years ago

The “Pomodoro” Technique

I discovered the technique Pomodoro Technique from one of the famous internet gurus, who uses this technique to be more productive and get more done in 100 minutes and he explained that after discovering this productivity secret, he was getting 10X more stuff done in his business and he got more income as a result.

He calls this secret the Productivity Machine. Ever since I applied this simple technique, I was able to work much longer hours without getting tired or burnt out so easily. In fact, not only I got more work done but I found myself progressing in a more consistent manner without affecting my health.

First, let’s watch this short 2 minutes video that talks about the Pomodoro Technique.

So exactly what is the Pomodoro Technique?

Basically, it is a very simple technique where you focus on 1-2 specific tasks for 25 minutes and then you take a short break. Regardless of what project you’re working on, you must stop what you’re doing, get your butt out of the chair, and take a break.

This will prevent you from burning out and getting your head “saturated”.

The break could be as short as 5-10 minutes. Don’t underestimate taking even a short break will not help because taking very short breaks frequently is just as important as focusing for 25 minutes. In fact, getting out of your chair and any form of movement like walking around, quick short exercises or some stretching will get your blood moving and ease your eyes on the computer.

This is similar like taking smaller meals more frequently instead of taking one big lump which is harder for digestion and that makes you feel more tired or sleepy because your digestive system has to work harder to break down the food and the lack of oxygen going up to your brains makes you feel sleepy.

So remember, every part of your body needs a little break.

According to many studies, people who spend a lot of time sitting or sedentary life are more at risk of facing health issues.

So this technique repeats the same cycle 4 times:

Focus 25 minutes –Take a short break
Focus 25 minutes –Take a short break
Focus 25 minutes –Take a short break
Focus 25 minutes –Take a short break

In total, you’ll spend 100 minutes of focused work.

So what is the definition of a “short break”? There is no standard for this but it can vary as short as 1 minute to about 10 minutes. I personally do not recommend longer 5 minutes as you might lose the momentum. The main objective of the short break is to ‘clear your head’ and give your body a break.

Again, it also depend on what you do in that short break.

For example, if you get out of your chair and perform some stretching exercises, doing jumping jacks or push-ups, then even a short 1 minute is good enough. However, if you just walk to the kitchen to grab yourself some drinks or snags, you may want to take slightly longer break probably up to 5 minutes.

I would not suggest taking too long a break like 15 minutes which you might already get too comfortable settling down or get distracted if you’re doing something else and this might break your work rhythm.

The key point here is just stop whatever you’re doing and get out of your chair or move away from your work and laptop.

Previously, I used to be a workaholic and I could sit on my chair working for 3-4 straight long hours without taking any breaks. Before I discovered the Pomodoro Technique, I used to try to complete all my work in one sitting because I didn’t want to waste time. However, I always felt very exhausted each time I finished my work. After 2-3 months working in this fashion, I got totally burned out.

I faced this situation a couple of times and I just lacked the energy and motivation to do any more work…my body system practically shut down and forced me to stop whatever I was doing. I kinda remembered it took me about 1-2 weeks to get my “mood” and energy back up again.

Today, I no longer work like that. I spend about 25 minutes of highly focused work and I take a about 2-3 minutes of short break. I find this way so much better as it gives me time to recuperate and gets me re-freshed and re-energized. This short break also ‘de-saturate’ my head.

Very often, that little small time window allows me to think through what I have missed out or what I need to do for the next step for my project. The amazing thing is that while making a cup of fresh hot coffee during that short break, some great ideas popped up in my head.

When you find that you have only 25 minutes to focus on one or two things, wouldn’t that makes you THINK and PLAN carefully what is that one or two most important things you need to do with that available time you have?

Taking short breaks will allow you to accomplish more at the end of the day and you’ll definitely have more energy to longer.

The Benefits of Pomodoro Technique

To recap, these are the 7 BENEFITS of using the Pomodoro Technique:

It makes you PLAN your work (what specifically you want to accomplish in 25 minutes)
It makes you IDENTIFY the most important stuffs you must do first (80/20 Rule)
It makes you FOCUS on your work (giving you better quality piece of output)
It makes you STOP whatever you’re doing (forces you to get out of your chair when the 25 minutes is up)
It makes you DO something to ease your mind (like walking and stretching to circulate your blood)
It makes you WORK longer without feeling overly tired (so you won’t get burn out)
It makes you PRODUCTIVE at the end of the day (getting more with less)