Why the Pomodoro Technique May Not Work for You
Choose the productivity technique which fits you.
We all want to become ultra-productive versions of ourselves. We dream of days when we master the smart work and find out the perfect work-life balance.
In my pursuit of perfect time management, the Pomodoro technique was the first productivity method I tried out. The reason was apparent, every self-help book I read and the Youtube channels I watched mentioned this technique at least once.
According to Wikipedia, the Pomodoro technique is developed by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s. The basic principle of this technique is to break down our work into certain intervals called pomodoros separated by short breaks.
You can implement the Pomodoro technique in simple steps.
- Set a time interval of 25 minutes and start your task.
- Take a break of 5 minutes after every 25 minutes.
- Continue the cycle until you finish your task.
There are many Pomodoro apps available, and you can use any one of them to make the process easy. You can also adjust the timings as you wish.
I installed a Pomodoro app on my mobile phone and tried the Pomodoro technique three days straight. On the fourth day, I uninstalled the app.
Here’s why the Pomodoro technique didn’t work for me:
The Breaks
Every task is not the same. Some tasks need breaks, and some other tasks need uninterrupted long sessions of concentration. Thus, breaks can’t be beneficial always.
When I did programming or writing tasks, I felt the uniform breaks were taking a toll on my productivity. After every 5 minute break, it would take some time for me to gain the same concentration level I had before the break.
Breaks broke the flow of my works. And sometimes, I cut the Pomodoro law by not coming back to work after the break. As a result, I took more time than usual to complete my tasks.
The Stress
Oh my god, already four pomodoros passed, and I am still writing this article- this kind of thought always crossed my mind. Pomodoro technique divides the time into molecules. Focussing too much on time eventually leads to stress.
Even though stress can be helpful to complete tasks in time, it will harm you if you are on some creative works. The creative flow will be affected when you always think about time.
The one benefit of the Pomodoro technique is that it helps to start your task. But the breaks and the stress didn’t fit my works. That’s how I realized every productivity tool out there wouldn’t work for all.
The Pomodoro technique may or may not work for you. It all depends upon your mentality and the kind of tasks you are working on.
Nowadays, the distractions are on a record high, and hence, our search for new productivity tools or techniques would never end. Find the one method which fits you rather than following others blindly.
