Thoughts on the Pomodoro method?
Artem Stenko
6 replies
Curious to hear if it works for you.
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EH@deleted-2082041
For anyone unfamiliar with the method, MedSchoolInsiders has a great video on the method:
Back when I thought I would go to med school, I started using this and I found it to be highly effective when your mission is to absorb high volumes of raw material. If you treat knowledge like fuel - this is about the best way that I know of to maximize your "fuel input".
If you're looking to improve recall, I'd recommend the Leitner method of pseudo-exponential-backoff recall in order to drive your info deeper into long-term-memory:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le...
And back to the fuel metaphor: I don't use the Pomodoro method when I'm in "creative flow" because structure and rigidity tend to interrupt my creativity. When I'm having a creative day, I tend to drift into a mindset that's completely absorbed and entranced, and I don't think interruptions are necessary to facilitate that kind of abstract productivity. Each tool has its place depending on the manner of thinking and synthesizing I have at hand.
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I'm using it right now to catch up on the latest discussions! I don't use it as much as I should but the idea of dedicated focus on one activity really does work. The hard bit is sticking to it and resisting the temptation to check your phone, open a new tab, click a push notification etc.
What about you Artem? Do you use it?
I think it's good for: repetitive work, studying, batched work (email, tidying,...)
However, I think it's not idea for mental problem solving or achieving flow. In our product deprocrastination.co we have a different timer for that called Super-productive. You have 52 min to focus and then a 17 min break. It's better for non-repetitive creative work (design, coding, writing,...).
Of course, sometimes just blocking out 3 hours of time works even better (for really hairy problems).
OK I'm redy
I haven’t actually tried it yet, so I’d be interested to see how others have found it to work for them.
I try to create chunks of time to accomplish certain tasks. Depending on what the tasks are, determines how much time I allow myself to work, so I do feel a sense of pressure.
When it comes to working in flow I don’t think the Pomodoro Method would work for me. I try to spend at least a good 4 hour chunk of time in undistracted deep work.
However, even when I work in flow, I set my alarm for four hours, sometimes longer or shorter, so I have a time constraint. This forces me to be focused.
I suppose in a way that may be similar to the Pomodoro Method, just an extended version.
Would that make extended work periods the “Pomodoro 2.0?” Haha
The longevity of the Pomodoro method is indicative that it works for a lot of people. My business partner and I use it every day. The challenge is that you can decide that you're going to do a Pomodoro but if no one else knows that you're doing one you're likely to get interrupted. The app that we've just developed called Pomodus addresses that issue. The idea is you get to focus, silence your Slack notifications and other people know that you're busy and not to interrupt you. We've gone live but not launched. I'd appreciate any feedback from the community and any suggestions of hunters who might be a good fit for us. https://pomodus.com/