Timing is Everything

Even on the tightest deadline I can find myself wandering over to
Twitter, taking the Downton
Abbey quiz or streaming the latest episode of The Vampire Diaries.
If you too can find seemingly endless ways to procrastinate, check out
this simple solution.

The Pomodoro
Technique is a five-step time management process created by
Francesco Cirillo. It is based, in part, on the idea that taking breaks
while you work is a good thing. The steps are as follows:

1. Choose a task to be accomplished
2. Set your timer to 25 minutes
(One Pomodoro)
3. Work on the task until the timer rings (no checking
Facebook, no texting just 25 minutes of focus)
4. Take a short break
of about three to five minutes
5. Every four Pomodoros take a longer
break (15-30 minutes)

It might seem basic, but whats bizarre is how much you can accomplish in
those first 25 minutes of uninterrupted work. Sure I might check the
timer once or twice, but after investing a full Pomodoro or two on
writing a proposal or section of a report, I often find Im over the
hardest partthe start.

Julie Whelan

Download a Pomodoro Technique cheat sheet here www.thepomodorotechnique.com