In praise of the Pomodoro Technique: Beating procrastination one segment at a time

We all know the feeling – we arrive at work with a specific task in mind: something important, slightly daunting and long overdue. It requires focus and time, both of which feel in short supply. The window to complete it is narrowing, and the pressure is building. Today has to be the day.

But despite our best intentions, the distractions and demands of a busy workday often take over, feeding our tendency to put things off. Before we know it, the day is ending and the big task is still hanging over us — now feeling even more daunting than before.

Pomodoro is the Italian word for “tomato” (literally, “golden apple”), but it is also the name of a productivity technique developed by Francesco Cirillo, a business consultant and productivity expert, in the late 1980s. The Pomodoro Technique (named after the tomato-shaped timer he used) dictates that you set a timer for 25 minutes, with a pre-defined task in mind.

Once the timer starts, you focus only on that task, without letting distractions pull you away, with the goal of either finishing it or making solid progress.

When the timer goes off, you take a five-minute break, ideally getting up to take a short walk, or moving away from the task you’re working on.

When five minutes are up, you set the timer again for another 25 minutes and return to this specific work, or if you have completed it, to the next task, focused and ready to cover ground again. After four of these “Pomodoros”, Cirillo advocates a longer break of about 30 minutes.

This simple technique works so well because it makes large tasks feel more manageable, improves our concentration, and helps us focus better.

Improved productivity and quality of work

Three or four 25-minutes sessions in a morning seems entirely achievable, and provided that we keep distractions at bay, can significantly improve both productivity and quality of work.

In our work and our lives, we are affected by what Jim Kwik refers to in Limitless as a “digital deluge”, too many things to process and too little time to absorb them. We are also contending with “digital distraction”, which he explains as too many notifications and perceived needs, and a continual shifting of our focus. No wonder we struggle to get the right things done.

Deciding to set a timer and focus on what is important is choosing to take control of one’s day, one small segment at a time.

I have experimented with this technique over the years, and it now forms a vital part of my workday. I use it for everything from big creative projects to quick bursts – clearing emails, tidying my desk, or making administrative calls. In fact, I used four Pomodoros to write and edit this article.

If you want to try this technique, be patient with yourself. Where you are required to concentrate for longer periods, simply lengthen the timed portion, and reward your effort with a proportionate break at the end.

You may find that when the timer goes off, you are in what Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls “flow”, a state of deep immersion where time seems to disappear and the work carries itself forward, almost effortlessly.

Avoiding distractions can help clear your mind and make it easier to focus on what you’re doing. Over time, it can improve both the way we work and how we feel about it — which is why it’s worth trying to make it part of a daily routine. Identify the task, remove distractions, set your timer and begin the work that fulfils you and moves the needle. One Pomodoro at a time. DM