The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks.

The Pomodoro Technique gets you to calculate the value of your time, plan realistic goals for time to spend on a project and then work to try and deliver the outcome.

I use this technique as part of my time management strategy. The work that you carry out will expand to fill the available time. If I am having a day where I am just focusing on my own work (with no pre-planned interruptions such as meetings), but I want to get as much done as possible – I will use the Pomodoro Technique to ensure that I stay focused on work, and continue to push myself to get as much done as possible.

The great thing about the technique is that it can get rid of some of those bad habits you might be experiencing. Such as over promising and not being realistic about what you can get done, it can cut down on wasting time making something perfect when it is good enough and it can help you focus and avoid other tasks and interruptions as you have allocated yourself a task to focus on.

Here is a summary of how I personally use this technique:

1. At the beginning of the day (or focus session) I write a to do list of tasks (by timer block). If they need more than one timer block, I write the task in for the relevant number of blocks. The key is to focus on one thing during that time.
2. Once the timers are allocated I can then work through the tasks using the timer. I use TomatoTimer on my computer.
3. The 25 minutes of time should be dedicated to your single task.
4. Once the task is completed you can take a quick 5 minute break if needed or prepare and get stuck into the next one.
5. Once you have had 4 timers in a row, take a longer break or give yourself a reward/treat.

Practically, this technique can really work because it teaches you to focus on a single task to get it done and helps you to manage distractions and procrastination.