Eat That Frog With A Pomodoro — Useful or Useless?
Eat that Frog with a Pomodoro — a concept created by Francesco Cirillo and introduced by Brian Tracy widely.
However, it reached me through the Amal Academy platform.
So, what does “Eat that Frog with a Pomodoro” mean?
Pomodoro is an Italian word that translates to “tomato.” Essentially, a Pomodoro is a timer clock that looks like a tomato. While, mobile phones and digital devices have taken the place of Pomodoro, the concept is still widely adapted to fight procrastination.
Here’s how a Pomodoro timer looks:
Pomodoro Technique:
The challenge/ activity is quite simple. You just have to follow a few steps to kill the Gratification Monkey in your brain (learn more about the Gratification Monkey from Tim Urban’s Ted Talk). Let’s take you through the steps of this challenge:
Now, it may seem difficult, but it’s surprisingly easy. What worked the best for me was keeping my phone as much away as I could. Though, I have to admit that I replied to a few important messages on desktop WhatsApp. It still kept me from checking social media time to time.
And the best part? I had breaks to check my phone/ stretch/ talk to someone.
Here I have summed up my experience and takeaway from the challenge:
Ø If you do not work at one time, you might find it a bit challenging, but it was not too difficult for me. I kept working with 5 minutes break every 25 minutes. The urge to check my mobile phone persisted, but I did not give into it.
Ø This technique undoubtedly helped me achieve more than I usually do. I knew I will get 5 minutes to check my phone or talk to family after the 25 minute timer. I guess this kept me going!
Ø I plan to add this to my routine as it helps keep track of time. It felt like I could control time instead of time controlling me. I will help me eliminate distractions and manage more work in less time. Subsequently, it will allow me to get better sleep than right now.
A few things that I think might help me improve my Pomodoro Technique experience, include:
· Politely asking my family to not disturb me until I take a break
· Keeping something to eat or drink near me so I do not have to get up
· Avoiding replying to messages on WhatsApp desktop unless very important
That’s all what I learnt from my Pomodoro Challenge.
Are you willing to take the challenge?
Share your experience on your blog and share the link in the comments. I’d love to see how you find it.
