An effective tool for measuring and maximizing 90-minutes of deliberate and intentional practice is the Pomodoro technique.
If you are like me, you are probably obsessed with productivity and have already heard this technique. I love it because is all about taking lots of 10-minute breaks between 30-minute periods of uninterrupted work.
The entire cycle is repeated four times before you take a longer break after the fourth work session.
However, I figured that I was not using Pomodoro to it’s fullest potential. I often started Pomodoro and forgot about it or didn’t have a positive feedback which it ended in me getting bored with it.
But I quickly realized that I wasn’t creating a moment to be deliberate and intentional with my practice at the beginning of the cycle.
Sure, I was planning my 3-things-I-should-do-today thing but by answering the questions below I was able to do more work in less time.
The 5 questions to ask before starting any Pomodoro cycle:
1. What can I actually get done in the next 30min?
Write down a clear and realistic task. After the cycle is complete, you’ll realize that you may be under or overestimating the time you actually take to finish and be able to set more realistic goals for the next cycles.
”Be a hyperrealist. Dreams + Reality + Determination = A Successful Life.
Ray DalioAmerican billionaire investor, hedge fund manager, and philanthropist.
2. How could this task be valuable to me in the future?
If you are working in an unintentional, directionless way you are basically adrift at sea. Understanding how your task will help you in your business will help to bring focus and passion to your work.
3. What is the Next Action?
What’s the one thing that you need to do to get going? It could be as easy as opening the software such as Photoshop, Google Sheets, etc. Take baby steps and before you know it you’ll be in the full ‘swing’ of work.
4. What is going to be a distraction or issue?
Most of the times, we get bombarded with emails, notifications, calls, meetings and some things we can’t control, but by understanding where we might get caught up, our bottlenecks, and limitations we can have a more mindful way of work getting the control back altogether.
Do your best to remove distractions. This could be as simple as putting your cell phone in your bag or another room (out of sight out of mind).
5. What does DONE mean?
Knowing when you are ‘done’ lets you know what must be accomplished before you get there. What is your definition of DONE?
Create a list of criteria that let you know if something is actually done.
For example, if your goal is to write a blog post done, it would mean it’s up on the website. However, there are a lot of steps that will help you move forward towards finishing that goal.
Having a checklist or a process in place is really helpful to understand what you should do next. For example, the blog post process could look like this:
- Write a detailed draft/outline
- Send it to a copywriter with instructions
- Receive the post and check it for typos
- Create and find appropriate images and graphics
- Optimize it for Google (SEO)
- Make sure all links and buttons work
- Hit publish
- Share it
Defining what ‘DONE’ actually means is useful if you want to start or optimize a team. That way, when someone says they are done you know that’s it’s legitimate.
Level Up
At the end of the cycle you can answer these questions for brownie points:
- Did I do the task I set for myself 30-minutes ago?
- Why and why not?
- What can I do to make my next cycle better?
- How can I make my break worthwhile?
And then take a 10min break, unless you are feeling the flow.
If you are feelin’ it, then stop only when your body starts asking you for something else. Pay attention to it. Burnout is no joke!
Otherwise, get up from the chair and do something else.
On my break, I stretch, go for more water/coffee, get a shower, clean whatever mess I see. I know I should not be on my phone but I’m a human still.
Wanna know more about using your break and unfocusing to increase your productivity? Read the 5 most important things you can do on your break to tackle your next cycle with a clear mind.
So! Question for you is… what do you do on your breaks?
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