Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Fresh tomatoes

A few minutes ago, I saw a short video about the Pomodoro Technique where the presenter talked about distractions and blocking your time in 25 minute increments so that you can focus and get things done. This was not the first time I had heard about this technique, but it was the first time that it resonated with me and made me want to learn more.

A quick overview of the Pomodoro Technique: 25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5 minute break.

The first time I heard about this technique -- I don't remember where or exactly how I heard about it -- the emphasis seemed to be about the 5 minutes. Don't overload your brain. Give time for a little right-brain activity as that will improve your problem solving ability and allow you to be more efficient in accomplishing your goals. I thought then, "eh ... why would I want to do that? My main problem is dealing with interruptions and lack of focus, not giving my brain a rest". And so, I blithely ignored and forgot about the pomodoro technique.

However, the short video talked in terms of distractions and focusing for the 25 minutes. That's exactly what I have (distractions) and what I need (focus)! Now I actually want to read more about it and how I may apply this technique.