If you're around this blog for some time, you might have noticed that I refer to the Pomodoro technique every now and then. I am now using it frequently again, since I got the Pomodoro Lite app for my iPhone (which is a total battery drain though). Another list of apps can be found here, from which I tried Pomodoro Me as well, but I didn't get that one working.
Recently, I have as well been contemplating the sense and nonsense of such a technique all in all. Even though I use it, and for some tasks, really seem to need it, it sometimes also feels forced and unnatural.
The advantages
1. It's purpose is clear and simple: focus for 25 minutes on just one task. It's a great help to focus for 25 minutes at a time. We all can get our thoughts together for something as short as 25 minutes, right?
2. I always feel like I'm racing against the clock in the last 5 minutes in which I see time ticking away. It's a great productivity boost, one pomodoro at a time.
The disadvantages
1. I find it difficult to stick to the 5 minute breaks. A "good break" for me is to get up from my chair and get something to drink at the end of the hallway. In a "failed break" I think I don't need to get up, and read my mail. Then, I need less time than 5 minutes, so I start looking for things to fill up time - and before I know I'm reading some article online and the 5 minutes are long since over.
2. Ideally, I wouldn't want to work like this. Ideally, I just got into the flow mode and work for hours straight on something which truly captivates me. Reality seems to be much different though, but still it sometimes feels unnatural and against the logical flow of the mind. Ideally, my mind is so crystal clear that 25 minutes of focus is a piece of cake.
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