How to Make the Tomato Technique Even More Effective
Every few months I try a version of the Pomodoro Technique, the famous productivity system where you take a 5 minute break every half hour and a half hour break every two and a half hours. I watch him closely, then weakly follow him, and then give up. If this happens to you, you may need to use this simpler version.
The problem, according to blogger Alexei Guzei, is how to properly manage your work and breaks. Some part of your brain is always figuring out how to time your tomatoes so you can take breaks at certain times, or wait for the tomatoes to start when you have a longer chunk of time. If you get distracted for a couple of minutes, you argue whether to reset your work session or not, or work through the next break, etc. Etc. Etc. Etc.
Solution: have one daily calendar with one fixed tomato schedule. Regardless of when you start, the first five minutes of every hour and half hour are breaks. And every three hours you take a half hour break.
Let’s say you start work at 9: the first five minutes are actually a break, then you work until 9:30. Break, then work until 10. Break, then work until 10:30, and so on. You have half-hour breaks at 11, 2 and 5. See the diagram on Alexey’s website.
After a couple of days, you will get used to the schedule. No matter what time you start working, you know where you are in the tomato cycle. If the typical Pomodoro is a Netflix menu with too many options, the planned Pomodoro is like a TV channel: you can turn it on or off, but the same lineup plays no matter what.
If you get distracted during a work session, don’t change your schedule or dump tomatoes. Get back to work until your next break.
If you continue to be distracted, you can change your location or do something else, but don’t change your schedule. It’s like meditation : the trick is never to be distracted. The trick is to notice the distraction and refocus without getting upset.
You can still use the Pomodoro timer app or set an alarm for every hour and half hour. The schedule does not change, which means that alarms shouldn’t either.
There is no one-size-fits-all productivity system. But if you eat habits and routines, this chart will suit you better than the typical Pomodoro. The rigidity of the schedule frees you from planning and meta-management. And I hope you stick with it for longer.