The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method based on 25-minute stretches of focused work broken by five-minute breaks. Longer breaks, typically 15 to 30 minutes, are taken after four consecutive work intervals. Each work interval is called a Pomodoro, the Italian word for tomato.
My Experience: I applied the Pomodoro technique to complete the task of book reading. I am planning to start reading Book Thief for quite a long time but I am unable to start because of distractions such as social media and procrastination. In our Project work by Amal, we had to apply the Pomodoro technique to complete a task. I decided to apply it to the task of reading a book. I had to complete 40 pages in 2 hours. I set the alarm for 25 minutes and started my task. At first, I faced difficulty in staying focused. I had many thoughts going on in my mind. I was thinking about what I will eat for dinner or what I will wear etc. While thinking all this my alarm rang and I gave myself a 5-minute break. Then I started my second round of Pomodoro with fresh energy and focus. The second round was better and more productive than the first one. I was able to read almost 20 pages in 25 minutes. As time passed, I was able to stay more focused and productive. After completing four rounds of Pomodoro I realized that I was able to achieve my goal timely by staying focused.
Distractions and Lessons Learned: I faced a lot of distractions while completing the task. There were times when I wanted to check my phone and use social media. I was also distracted by the noise of workers constructing nearby. The Pomodoro technique helped me overcome procrastination and stay focused. This way of working hard for a short time and then taking a break worked amazingly for me. The Pomodoro Technique didn’t only stop distractions — it changed how I work. It’s a game-changer.
Future Implementation: I struggle a lot with maintaining focus on my work due to minor distractions, but I tried this technique that turned out to be quite successful. I’m looking forward to incorporating the Pomodoro Technique into my daily schedule going forward.
