Pomodoro, an Effective Technique?

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Francesco Cirillo defined the Pomodoro Technique in 1992, but it all started in the late 1980s, during his first years at college. The break- through came out of frustration over his low productivity and unstruc- tured studying—thanks to a red, round object that made a ringing noise: “I made a bet with myself, and it was as helpful as it was humil- iating. I asked myself, ‘Can I study—really study—for 10 minutes?’ I needed objective validation—a time tutor—and I found one in a kitchen timer shaped like a pomodoro (the Italian word for “tomato”). In other words, I found my Pomodoro.”1 With the Pomodoro Technique, you can make time your friend, not your enemy. Instead of feeling anxiety about deadlines for this hour, this day, this week, or this month, you set a timer for 25 minutes and completely focus on the task at hand. When the timer rings at the end of the 25 minutes and you’re still working, it does not mean that you have failed to finish. On the contrary. It is a round of applause for your completed timebox. In a nutshell, that’s what the Pomodoro Technique is—decide on the tasks you will do that day, set a timer for 25 minutes, and then start the first one. You’ll also have daily retrospectives, create daily com- mitments, handle interruptions, and estimate the effort put forth. This book will walk you through how I do the technique, including how to record your activities and pick the tasks that are the most important.Francesco Cirillo defined the Pomodoro Technique in 1992, but it all started in the late 1980s, during his first years at college. The break- through came out of frustration over his low productivity and unstruc- tured studying—thanks to a red, round object that made a ringing noise: “I made a bet with myself, and it was as helpful as it was humil- iating. I asked myself, ‘Can I study—really study—for 10 minutes?’ I needed objective

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