
How the Pomodoro Technique changed my workday - alwayslearn
http://www.fastcompany.com/3053036/how-to-be-a-success-at-everything/the-simple-technique-to-fit-a-40-hour-work-week-into-167-h
======
d0m
Personally, what kills my productivity is when it takes more than 5secs to
compile/load/whatever. I don't have ADHD in real life, but when I'm hacking, I
can't wait that long, so I'll alt-tab and look at HN or whatever for
"5-10secs". Problem is I find an interesting article and then come back
5minutes later.

So, I know it's not the best solution, but I keep compiling/loading time
REALLY fast. I.e. hot reloading is a good example of small thing that boost
productivity insanely. But even in C++, I'd just work on a separate project
and stub everything so that it compiles in a few ms. I know that if I need to
recompile the whole codebase everytime I'm making a change I won't get any
work done.

It's also because I tend to do the code/test really fast. I know some people
who code for a few minutes, then test it.. so it's less of a problem for them.

Anyway, back to my hacking.. see, that sucker took more than 5 seconds to run
:-)

~~~
DrScump

      what kills my productivity is when it takes more than 5secs to compile/load/whatever.
    

Sigh. These kids today have _no_ idea what it was like to dial in to work at
midnight so you could fire off another build that could finish by morning, if
you were lucky. Or, to be limited to off-hours for running builds at all.

~~~
jernfrost
Yeah but you didn't have internet to waste your time back then. I fucking hate
internet at times. It has conditioned me to read everything in little
digestible tidbits. Before I spent much more time reading actual books,
staying concentrated on reading one topic for you know at least 1 hour at a
time.

~~~
DrScump
Sure we did. I was very active in several Usenet newsgroups from 1987 on.

Of course, at that time, few companies were connected 24x7. My employer, for
example, dialed in for mail and Usenet traffic exchanges a handful of times a
day.

The debates over the first ANSI C spec in comp.lang.c were most entertaining.

------
rtl49
_One day I’d had enough. Truth be told, I’d had way more than enough. I
stopped and reevaluated my life, trying to figure out what was important to
me, and what wasn’t._

This self-reflection and whatever series of events led to it are more valuable
than any particular time management technique. I'm surprised the author did
not discuss this in more depth, though I suspect this is because these
realizations tend to arise largely by happenstance.

When we notice ourselves failing to direct our energy toward matters of
immediate concern, this is a fine occasion to evaluate what we are doing and
why. If it is procrastination, perhaps this is a result of fearing failure, or
perfectionism, or low energy. Perhaps we are distracted by a thought with
which we have too closely identified ourselves, thus failing to notice that we
are even thinking. There are many competing forces at play in the mind, and we
are seldom if ever aware of all of them at once. I think that generally the
cause of low productivity is, as someone once put it, "a failure to think
about thinking." Perhaps the boon of these techniques is that they direct our
attention to the content of our minds by creating a sense of urgency.

------
teleclimber
I really like that the author describes work as fitting into two categories:
the really focused stuff he uses the Pomodoro technique for, and all the
peripheral stuff. I think it's a very important distinction and I'm keenly
aware of it in my daily work.

I've found there are two advantages of Pomodoro that are under-appreciated:

1\. At the end of your day you have an integer number of "Pomodoros" done. An
integer number is very easy to grasp and compare with other days. So you have
a very strong sense for how well you did with your day, or how well you are
doing so far in the day. It's a powerful thing and it keeps you honest.

2\. After you have used the technique for a while, the timer you use not only
serves as a timer, but its start mechanism/button/gesture/whatever actually
serves as some sort of psychological "switch" that puts your mind in work
mode. On mornings when I am lacking a little motivation, I can just start the
timer and I'll get into gear. It's not magic, but when I need a little extra
kick the timer does it very well.

~~~
redrummr
3\. You get great at estimating work in 25-minute chunks. Being able to exert
that level of control is cool. 4\. It directly taps into several other
productivity systems like the X Method.

~~~
teleclimber
5\. Sometimes when you have just 30 seconds left on your Pomodoro you start
blasting away on your keyboard like you're one of those hackers in the movies.
It makes you realize how much you can do in 30 seconds.

~~~
mikekchar
I've actually started to do 5 minute pomodoros. It's insane, but also a lot of
fun. Especially when pair programming it's great because you can start
discussing an issue and suddenly you look at your timer and think, "Woah... 30
seconds just went by. Let's just try it one way. We can change it later if we
want". I also write down what I've done at the end of the 5 minute pomodoro.
If it is "nothing", then it's a good flag to say that I have a problem.

------
KingMob
While I respect the Pomodoro technique, I found that its focus on 25-minute
chunks is largely incompatible with the way I (and many others) program. When
it takes 10-15 minutes to load everything up in your brain, that only leaves
you a few minutes to actually work before you take a break.

It remind me of the "This Is Why You Shouldn't Interrupt a Programmer" comic:
[http://heeris.id.au/2013/this-is-why-you-shouldnt-
interrupt-...](http://heeris.id.au/2013/this-is-why-you-shouldnt-interrupt-a-
programmer/), except in this case, you're interrupting yourself.

These days, I use SelfControl to disable access to my distractions all day
long to get a ton of stuff done.

~~~
redrummr
Then start your next pomodoro immediately. That's what I do. If you can do
that and not get burned out, that's ideal, especially if you're in the zone.
It's also better than increasing your pomodoro time IMO. Since I don't take a
break 2-3 sessions at a time sometimes, looking at 10 minutes to go is
spurring; when I experimented with 40-minute sessions I hated looking at 35
minutes left on the clock.

~~~
larrywright
I do a variation of this. Ten minute timers, instead of 25, and then I make
sure that whatever task I set for myself is something I can do in 10 minutes.
For programming tasks this is often "Finish writing method foo", or "Debug the
problem with method bar".

~~~
ahstilde
How long are your breaks?

~~~
larrywright
I don't take a break after every session. I usually try to break for 5-10
minutes once per hour.

------
jgrahamc
Pelko Method is more effective:
[http://doublestealth.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/the-pelko-
method...](http://doublestealth.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/the-pelko-method.html)

~~~
1_player
I like him making fun of us Italians, although we're not actually having any
afternoon naps, unless you're over 70 or are a farmer :(

~~~
kirubakaran
You're missing out then. Taking a 20-30min nap has been the best sustainable
productivity hack + lifestyle change that I've done.

~~~
467568985476
How much do you sleep per night and how much caffeine do you drink?

I used to nap like that too, until I reduced my caffeine (one cup of coffee in
the morning now) and started consistently getting 8-10 hours of sleep per
night. I'm much happier and more productive than I ever was when I felt like I
was constantly battling exhaustion with afternoon naps and coffees.

~~~
kirubakaran
Thanks, I'll have to experiment with that. I drink plenty of coffee and sleep
about 7 hours.

------
billybilly1920
The last paragraph pretty much sums up the entire article:

Click here to get access to my free 32-page guide that explains my simple
system in detail and includes worksheets, tools, and resources that you can
print out and use. Save 23.3 hours each week and get more accomplished!

~~~
rtl49
Yes, that bit of self-promotion and the hyperbolic claim negated his
credibility. Then again, HN readers must already be familiar with the ways of
'fastcompany' writers given the sheer number of articles we see from them.

------
keithpeter
The basic 5 step technique is useful with teenagers at revision time. Light
weight, easy to remember, they seem to like the kitchen timers (I use 'pound
shop' clockwork ones except you can't get them in pound shops any more).

[1]
[http://g.fastcompany.net/multisite_files/fastcompany/imageca...](http://g.fastcompany.net/multisite_files/fastcompany/imagecache/inline-
large/inline/2015/11/3053036-inline-buffer2.jpg)

------
jnpatel
_Right now, you’re probably thinking, "Twenty-five minutes of work? That’s
nothing! This is gonna be easy!"_

Actually as someone who mostly formed my study/focus skills during the age of
distraction (Facebook, SMS, YouTube), I don't think this is trivial at all.

If I were to go all in on the Pomodoro Technique, I'm pretty sure have to
start training myself from just 10 minute undistracted work sessions.

~~~
michaelcampbell
I find the 25 mins difficult at times too; partially because of distractions,
and partially because I let myself be distracted by them.

If I can't do a full one, I cut the next one down by 5-10 mins and try the
shorter time period. If I CAN get that one done, I add 5 mins. Repeat until
I'm down to 5 minute tasks or 25 min pomo's.

------
bestan
Trello + Pomello is a quite powerful combo. Not only I use it for focusing,
but also tracking time that I spend on freelancing (down to specific Trello
tickets).

Pomello:
[https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pomello/ahjnfakocp...](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pomello/ahjnfakocpfoocnncbgmondnnnlfjide?hl=en)

~~~
bradddd
Are there any similar timer solutions that link to github or bitbucket issues?

~~~
hyperchase
Check out Toggl, their Chrome extension will add a "Start Timer" button to a
ton of popular services:

[https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/toggl-
button/oejgc...](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/toggl-
button/oejgccbfbmkkpaidnkphaiaecficdnfn?hl=en)

------
tzs
Note that this fits in well with recommendations of ergonomics experts to take
a short break every 20 to 30 minutes to get up and move around [1].

[1]
[http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/CUESitStand.html](http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/CUESitStand.html)

------
potomak
I tried the Pomodoro Technique to avoid distractions and to stay more focused
when I started freelancing. I was also trying to track my work time, so I
built Tomatoes, a simple web app to do both.

The app is open source, you can download the code at
[http://github.com/potomak/tomatoes](http://github.com/potomak/tomatoes), or
you can use the version running at [http://tomato.es](http://tomato.es).

------
AdeptusAquinas
Using the pomodoro technique, I managed to write a 50k novel in eight days.

Taking a 5 minute break for every 25 mins of uninterrupted work seems to
preserve 'flow state', dramatically increasing my productivity :)

------
chipperyman573
I've always wondered, what's the point of those "FREE EBOOKS!" that require
you to give your email? Does the author get a cut because s/he sells your
email to advertisers? I always use a disposable email anyway.

~~~
tedks
In my experience these are usually just for the author to spam you. Remember
that RSS is dead. In its place, we have spam.

~~~
jonathanoliver
I was turned off by the ebook offer as well, but I went ahead and downloaded
it anyway. Even though it says 32 pages, it's incredibly short because the
pages are small, the font is large, and there are lots of illustrations. It
took me longer to read the article than the ebook.

------
adenadel
Here's a Chrome extension that is useful for enforcing the Pomodoro technique.
It allows you to blacklist websites and customize the work/break lengths.

[https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/strict-
workflow/cg...](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/strict-
workflow/cgmnfnmlficgeijcalkgnnkigkefkbhd?hl=en)

~~~
makeset
Thanks, but no way to stop a timer except removing the extension, by design?
O-kay. That may have been the shortest-lived extension I've added and removed.

~~~
artifaxx
Out of curiousity, why do you want to stop the timer? To me the point seems to
commit to lay out a specific segment of time to be productive and holding to
the commitment helps. I imagine you have a different perspective on this
though.

~~~
gigq
In pomodoro if you get interrupted to the point where you need to stop what
you are working on you are supposed to stop the timer and start over when you
can.

It forces you to make sure interruptions are actually worth dealing with vs
putting them off till after the timer is up.

~~~
artifaxx
Good point, but by itself restarting the timer isn't much of a deterrent (at
least to me). It makes me wonder if a better incentive might exist so that you
can pause the timer but with a weightier tradeoff.

------
ilurk
I'm curious on what type of 5-minute breaks fellow HN readers take.

I've noticed that time really distorts when you open a new tab for a "quick HN
browse" or similar.

~~~
redrummr
Walk around. If you have a floor that lets you slide around while socked, do a
few hallway sprint-slides to get your circulation going. Or my favourite:
60-second plank to start every break. Pomodoro six-pack plugin.

------
hyperchase
I love the Pomodoro Technique, and use the Tomighty app specificaly for it's
simplicity and that it's native so I don't need to keep a pinned browser tab
open just for it - love simple things like this that just sit in my system-
tray.

I pair it up with Toggl, a time tracking service online to keep reports of
_what_ I'm working on, and I find it a huge boon to my productivity and
ability to justify the time I spend working on things.

------
nether
I used a different version in college for weekend studying. Study for 2 hrs,
break 10 min. Study 1.5 hrs, break 20 min. Study 45-60 min, by then it's
usually lunch time or dinner.

------
such_a_casual
You know, someone has to say it. Working in 25 minute intervals with a 5
minute break is hardly a technique. It doesn't need a name, and it doesn't
need an entire page to explain. A to-the-point definition followed by
anecdotal commentary would have been far less insulting than the format of
this blog post, which basically reads like a diet pill ad.

~~~
Uehreka
Pomodoro saved my butt in college one time, when simply "working hard with
breaks" wouldn't have. I had to read a 200 page monograph in a single night
and then write a book report on it.

With Pomodoro, I assigned each chapter one "pomodoro" (25-minute time period).
At the end of that time, the chapter was done, whether I'd finished it or not.
As the timer ticked down, I'd see it out of the corner of my eye and read
faster, eventually just skimming the first sentence of each paragraph and
maybe soaking in one or two details every couple paragraphs. When each chapter
was done, I'd have a rough idea of what the main thrust was, and a fistful of
details as well. I'm pretty sure I got a B+ on that book report, but I was
just amazed I got it in on time at all.

So in this case, I found it useful as a way to complete a large, boring,
segmented task in a quick-and-dirty-but-effective way. I wouldn't recommned it
as a cure-all, but it's a good tool to have in your belt for certain kinds of
tasks.

~~~
kelvin0
I find it baffling that you had to do this in the absolute last minute? At
best it shows poor planning? At worst a 'I-am-heroic-startup-1-person-army'
which burns out so many poor souls. Pardon me if this is incorrect.

~~~
CydeWeys
That kind of hypothetical analysis is irrelevant in the moment though (similar
to sunk costs). Regardless of how you end up finding yourself in a situation
where you need to complete a herculean task in a single day, you still need to
do it. It doesn't help to place blame at that moment, though of course you
should do a post-mortem afterwards and figure out what you can do in the
future to prevent it from recurring.

I too ended up in a similar situation in university where I needed to complete
a large programming project in a single night, and I did it. Now granted, that
was a fault of bad time management on my part, but using disciplined
programming I was at least able to recover from it and complete the project.
And I have had a few instances in the business world that had similar tight
and tough deadlines that were NOT a result of time management failure on my
part.

