The Pomodoro Technique: How To Use Time Blocking Technique For Better Time Management

Time blocking is a way to hold yourself accountable to work on and complete a specific task. This effective way to work is widely known as the Pomodoro Technique. 

Francesco Cirillo created it for a college student who felt he needed the timer to help him stop wasting time with his studies. Setting the tomato-shaped timer and focusing on his task helped him carry through his commitments.

So, how does this Pomodoro Technique work? And can you really improve your focus and efficiency with this method? Let’s understand

Time Blocking Projects

The core focus of the Pomodoro Technique is to break down your work into 25-minute pieces, or Pomodoro’s. Set your timer for this time to focus on a single task until the timer goes off. Once the session ends, you can record (or write down) how far you got in the project.

There are three primary rules to follow when utilizing this method of time blocking technique, and they include:

1. If the task requires multiple Pomodoro’s (25-minute chunks), you must break it down into smaller, actionable tasks. Committing to this rule helps you progress on more extensive, complex projects.
2. If tasks take less than 25-minute intervals, combine them to make up one complete project. For example, if your tasks involve setting doctor, dental, and other necessary appointments, combine them all in one session.
3. Don’t break during the pomodoro; that 25-minute time frame is for you to put your entire focus and concentration on the task you’re doing. Rid yourself of any distractions like your phone so you aren’t tempted to check emails, or texts, or waste time scrolling.

Side note: if you think of something else you know needs doing or addressing during your pomodoro, quickly write it down (or type it up) so you can return to it later and won’t forget.

Time Blocking for Artists

As an artist, using the pomodoro technique is more than beneficial. Sometimes those creative juices get flowing and you’re in the zone, so you may go over the 25-minute time block and that’s okay.

Drawing for twenty-five-minute intervals is an excellent way to hone in on your skill without it feeling too overwhelming. You can take a big painting or sketch and break it down to just one task at a time, and eventually, the entire piece will come together, and you’ll gradually improve upon your sketching skills over time.

Eventually, you’ll be able to sketch more quickly and efficiently so projects take less time overall.

For those in a more technological field, such as coding, dedicating just 25 minutes a day to learning that specific skill each day gives you the power to excel faster. Rather than taking a class and trying to push time limits for your learning, you give yourself a short threshold, and in tandem, you give yourself an easier time which propels you forward.

Evaluating Your Time management Progress

There may be times you encounter unavoidable disruptions during your pomodoro. You can track these interruptions if you receive an emergency call or need to take a break. Then, reflect on ways to avoid them for your next session. 

If you finish the tasks before the pomodoro is done, you can use the rest of your time to continue your productivity. You can jump into another learning task or improve your skills, do some research, etc. 

Please keep a separate list of tasks you can do if you have extra time. Then, you can quickly choose one when you’ve finished a task with time to spare. Keep everything together in your daily undated planner so you can easily track and evaluate your progress. The preparation can aid you in your success.

Pomodoro Technique Benefits

Besides boosting productivity, there are advantages to utilizing the Pomodoro Technique to tackle projects. Instead of slowing down by jumping from one task to another, you plan the task with time blocks.

Taking on bigger projects can lead to stress and often, procrastination; as such search suggests, procrastination doesn’t have to do with self-control. Because of your lack of motivation, you end up feeling like a failure and think it has to do with you directly. 

However, those negative thoughts that working on a project feels overwhelming or uncomfortable paired with more feelings of uncertainty or failure make it less likely to happen. The reality is you just need to tailor a different approach, such as this beneficial technique to help you break things down.

The benefits of using 25-minute time blocks help to shrink whatever you’re putting off into smaller, less intimidating steps. An excellent example of this is thinking about writing a novel. It seems like a huge undertaking, but consider just writing a paragraph or a page to start. 

The technique also helps to minimize the chance of multiple interruptions. Resisting the interruptions ensures you focus on your project and get it done without feeling overwhelmed.

You also become more aware of your time and make your time count. You can feel optimistic about the outcome of accomplishing your project and measure your productivity in these time blocks.

Tips When Using the Pomodoro Technique

Now that you understand how to utilize the technique, here are just a few things to help make using this method the most effective:

 

• Take a short amount of time to plan out each pomodoro for the 25-minute block and what you’ll accomplish. Think of it as your “to-do” list for each day.
  • i.e. “I want to begin my artwork on the feet today, and work my way upward toward the head”

 

• Include the extra activities or tasks you can do if you have spare time and finish any project early.
  • i.e. “If I finish coding for my programming course, I can start tackling the coding for my web page design”

 

• Explore making adjustments to the length of your Pomodoro’s. For example, if you get into a natural “flow” state with your work, extend your work sessions past the 25-minute block and give yourself a more extended break once you’re finished.

 

• Consider if you have difficulty staying focused for the full 25 minutes. If it’s too complicated, you should shorten your blocks to maybe just 15 or even 10 minutes to see how much you can accomplish.

 

Improving your focus and concentration can be easy with this tried-and-true time blocking technique. You’ll see advances not only in your time management skills but in your overall well-being. After you work with this method each day, take a little time to review how you can improve your focus and productivity.