Time Management: The Pomodoro Technique

We all have been through that time when we find ourselves drowning underneath a workload so huge that ironically we end up procrastinating. Tackling that workload seems only like an endeavor fit only for the gods and we are simply not worthy of such an honor! Though the one thing that experience has taught me is that we can be more productive than we than we might think is humanly possible! This productivity comes from developing a very simple skill: Time Management!

Personally i have always wondered what made CEO’s so successful, and able to juggle a million tasks at once. I was looking for that magic potion that they drink that made them do invincible! Until I came across an article that cited that the number one skill that Entrepreneurs and CEOs value was time management! It is the secret sauce, the thing that makes them tick! But saying that you want to be good at time management and actually being good at it are two completely different things!

To manage your time efficiently, there a multitude of theories out there that attempt to outline the perfect method for time management! From the Eisenhower time management matrix all the way onto the Pomodoro technique! In my personal opinion the ultimate time management system is one that incorporates both systems into one rather perfect system.

For beginners i recommend the Pomodoro technique. The Pomodoro technique is a time management method developed in the late 1980s by Francesco Cirillo. It was named so because Francesco was using a tomato shaped kitchen timer at the time. The concept is simple:

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1. Set up a list of things that you need accomplished during the day.
2. Break down the list items into tasks.
3. Assign a time frame for each task (no more than 30 minutes)
4. Set up the timer and start tackling the tasks on the list
5. Every time the timer rings take a short break (no more than 5 mins)
6. Every 4 short breaks take a long break (10 – 15mins long)
7. Repeat until you cross out all items on your list!

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