Planting and growing tomatoes using the method of I.M. Maslova

Even though time management has passed the peak of its popularity when almost everyone was talking about it, time management is still the only way properly structure the work process and separate it from personal matters.

Although oh Pomodoro technique Almost everyone knows, it seemed to us that the general knowledge base is still not enough - information about the “Pomodoro” technology has to be found bit by bit. We have collected in one place everything you need to know about Pomodoro: history of creation, goals, rules, answered frequently asked questions and selected best apps and services.

Below we will tell the history of the creation of technology, its key goals, features, and also select the best tools for all operating systems: Windows, OS X, iOS, Android and even Windows Phone.

Story

In the 1980s, people had different problems and thought less about time management. Francesco Cirillo, at that time a student at an Italian university, after finishing his first year and successful completion I felt depressed during exams. Coming home from university, he continued to study and soon realized that he did not understand what he was spending his time on.

New exams came faster than he thought, and it turned out that Cirillo was not ready for them, although he spent a lot of time studying. Realizing this, he wondered: “Will I be able to for real study for at least 10 minutes?” Such a goal is not enough - an objective judge was needed, and a small kitchen timer in the shape of a tomato became it. This is how the technique got its name. This test was the beginning of Pomodoro, and after months of practice, research and experimentation, it turned into what we will talk about below.

Why is this necessary?

In an era of constant distraction, when everything is done to attract and attract your attention, managing your time is very important. Using the Pomodoro or other technique alternative technique, you increase your productivity by getting more done in less time.

According to Cirillo, the main goals are:

Supporting determination to achieve your own goals.
Improving the work and learning process.
Increased work and study efficiency.
Developing determination to act in difficult situations.

Technology is just a tool that will help you achieve this. The rest is up to you.

The essence of the Pomodoro technique

For simplicity, we will only mention the work process, although the technique is also suitable for study.

The time periods into which work is divided are conventionally called tomatoes. One pomodoro lasts 30 minutes: 25 minutes of work and 5 minutes of rest. Almost every year new studies appear that talk about the effectiveness of other time periods, but we take the original technique as a basis.

Before starting the timer, you should make a list of work tasks. There are various applications and services for this (we will touch on them below), but you can also use a regular piece of paper. Let's start with this.

Take a piece of paper and title it “Today’s Tasks.” Considering your priorities (from most to least important), make a list of all your tasks for today. After that, set the timer for 25 minutes and start working.

The timer rings to indicate the start of a 5-minute rest. At this time, it is not advisable to engage in work matters and it is better to relax and take your mind off work. After 5 minutes have passed, you need to return to the task and continue completing it. Each “pomodoro” segment should be marked with a cross opposite the task you are performing. After four segments, take a long break - from 15 to 30 minutes. When you finish working on a task, cross it off the list and move on to the next one.

Keeping a list of tasks is necessary for self-control and monitoring your effectiveness. For example, after a week, you can see how many “pomodoros” you spent on completing a particular task. Of course, multiplying the number of segments by 25 minutes, you get a more common unit of measurement than pomodoros - minutes.

What to do with distractions

Although the Pomodoro technique is designed to combat distractions, they still appear during the work process. If the 25-minute period of time has not yet ended, and you can’t help but get distracted, put an apostrophe “’” on the sheet where you write down the crosses. After that, add the new activity to your task list and try to finish the task you were working on before.

This is not in the official version of the technique, but many advise assessing the importance of distraction on a ten-point scale, where 10 points is a task of maximum importance, and 1 point is a task that is not worth your attention. this moment. Cirillo insists that any distraction can wait until the timer runs out, which should never be paused. If you can't wait, you need to turn off the timer, do what you need to do, and get back to work by starting the timer again.

If you are still distracted, put a dash “-” next to the unfinished task. By evaluating them in the future, you will be able to understand which tasks you were least productive in solving.

Follow-up assessment

After using the Pomodoro technique for a few days, you will be able to estimate how many “pomodoros” you have for each day. For example, a standard eight-hour work day equals 14 pomodoros. By making a list of tasks for the day, you evaluate in advance which tasks to allocate more time to, which - less, and which should be postponed until tomorrow.

Over time, you can divide work segments into several parts, leaving 3-5 minutes at the beginning of the segment to study the work done before and 3-5 minutes at the end to review what you did now. This analysis does not require changes in the duration of the pomodoro. If analysis is difficult for you, put it off for the future. This means that you have not yet mastered the basics of technology.

Applications and services

Let's touch on the most interesting. We have collected the best Pomodoro solutions for all popular devices.

1. Keep Focused - a simple timer for Pomodoro.

Questions

What to do if the task has already been completed and the time has not run out?

Do not turn off the timer ahead of time. If you have some work time left, take on tasks that are not on your list today. You can plan tasks for the next day, read something, or discuss a work issue.

What if I want to work more or less?

According to Cirillo, the optimal duration of a pomodoro is 20–35 minutes. But once you have mastered the technique, you can experiment and change the intervals depending on how you feel more comfortable working.

Which timer is better to use: a real one or in the form of an application or service? What about the task list?

It doesn't matter. It's best to try both options: the app and a real timer. An undeniable advantage of applications and services is that their settings are more flexible. The same applies to the task list: if you don’t need excessive functionality, a sheet of paper or a notepad will suffice.

What is “call fear”?

This is anxiety caused by the feeling of being under the control of a timer. Most often, the fear of calling is experienced by people who are not accustomed to self-discipline. Try to overcome yourself.

Why are all these apostrophes, crosses and dashes needed?

For analysis. By reviewing these notes in the future, you will be able to determine which tasks required endurance from you, which went without distraction, and which were so uninteresting or difficult that you were unable to complete them and moved on to something else.

Are there studies confirming the effectiveness of the technique?

Yes. Even if we do not touch upon the research conducted by Cirillo himself. For example, Federico Gobbo and Matteo Vaccari observed a group of programmers working with and without technology. The effectiveness of their work using the Pomodoro technique was higher. Another study conducted by Staples showed the ineffectiveness of workers who work without a break, except for lunch.

In addition, Doctor of Psychology and famous blogger David Nowell also uses this technique. he tells why.

What if I don't want to use the Pomodoro technique and want to try something different?

There are dozens of articles on Lifehacker talking about various techniques productivity and time management. alternatives to standard task lists. An alternative view of productivity and the Pomodoro technique.

This is boring, I want something more interesting.

The Pomodoro technique is the easiest way to record working time and increases our productivity. It requires a minimum of accessories:

timer - any;
plan for the day.

Today there are a lot of applications that work using this technique, but beginners can use a simple timer on their phone or a kitchen time control tool.

What is the Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro technique is one of the elements of time management for effective time control. The essence of the method is dividing time into small convenient intervals, during which only one work task is solved. One time period = one pomodoro.

Why "Pomodoro". This name was given to the time control system by Francesco Cerillo, who was looking for effective way to improve academic performance at university and found it using a kitchen timer in the shape of a tomato.

Classic version of Pomodorro suggests using 25 minutes to work, then taking a 5-minute break, and after four blocks resting for half an hour. This option is considered the standard because:

minimizes the likelihood of being distracted by something extraneous;
maintains concentration on the chosen task;
increases efficiency and productivity.

But! The intense rhythm of life and huge busyness dictates its own rules, forcing you to increase the time of “tomatoes” more and more. And the question arises: what kind of efficiency should it be?

How long does a proper pomodoro last?

There is no single correct answer to this question. Someone can concentrate and work for 40-50 minutes without a break, while for another person their efficiency decreases after half an hour of working time. To find out the most effective range using the Pomodoro technique, you should:

conduct several test days;
work in different modes every day;
increase the “pomodoro” every day by 5 or 10 minutes;
choose the optimal pace of work for yourself.

Freelancers who use Pomodoro on a regular basis say that the best productivity scheme is 50-10 or 50-5-5. In the first case, 50 minutes are allocated for work, 10 for coffee or rest; the second option is more correct from a health point of view: 50 – work, 5 – sports break, 5 – other rest.

How to take breaks?

The changes in the Pomodoro technique are quite small, but they can be used very effectively. To make it easier to return to work later, it is recommended to spend the break on:

a cup of tea/coffee;
to wash with cool water;
for a sports break;
short phone call.

What you definitely shouldn't do:

take a book - especially for those who love reading;
check messengers;
go to social networks or forums.

That is, practice for 5-10 minutes not worth it because it can easily take away hours of useful time.

Distractions on "tomatoes"

No one can work perfectly evenly. Therefore, situations invariably occur when the current “pomodoro” is interrupted. What to do in this case? The decision determines the reason for the interruption. The most popular interference:

Call, message, letter in the mail. The solution is to turn off the sound, turn the phone over, close or turn off instant messengers.
An unexpected idea about work, plans, relaxation. The solution is to write the idea down in an organizer or on a piece of paper and continue working.
Children, relatives, colleagues. The solution is to stop the “pomodoro”, get distracted, quickly deal with the issue and return to work.

The Pomodoro technique is not a strict absolute that cannot be violated, but using it on an ongoing basis you can notice:

that matters are resolved faster and more efficiently;
More and more points of the plan are being closed;
manages to concentrate even on very complex tasks;
the quality of work improves.

Today, many software tools have been invented to work with Pomodoro technology that allow you to plan, analyze, and optimize work.

What to do, if….

When you just start working with “tomatoes,” questions inevitably arise. Let's try to look at typical problems.

What to do if the timer is ticking and the case is over?

It all depends on the case. You can either check the thoroughness of its implementation or, if the end is complete and there is nothing to control, move on to another matter.

What to do if things are big, more than allotted “pomodoro” time?

Divide the lesson into stages and assign each stage its own “pomodoro”. Or increase the period of working time to the desired interval - for example, from 25 minutes to 40 or 50.

What to do if interrupted?

Stop the timer, resolve the issue and return to fulfilling the plan by starting a new “pomodoro”.

Is it possible to divide tomatoes into quarters and halves?

No you can not. It is better to reduce the work time or include two tasks in one “pomodoro”.

I'm waiting for other questions in the comments!

This is a well-known time management technique, the essence of which is to divide the working day into small fragments - “pomodoros”. Each pomodoro lasts half an hour: 25 minutes for work and 5 minutes for rest. After four “tomatoes” - big change, which lasts 20 minutes. Then everything is new: we work for 25 minutes, rest for 5 minutes.

Why has this “tomato” fun become so popular? We often spend much more time on a simple task than it really deserves. More precisely, we spend as much as necessary on a task, but at the same time they steal our time social media and chatting with colleagues. As a result, things that deserve at most a couple of hours of attention get smeared thin layer throughout the working day.

The Pomodoro technique helps you concentrate on the task at hand without being distracted by unnecessary distractions. All issues that are not related to work should be dealt with during breaks. Ultimately, you learn to cope with more tasks in less time. This approach to organizing work disciplines and helps to get rid of discomfort just below the back, caused by the approaching deadline.

"Pomodoro" - the winner of procrastination

To strictly adhere to the Pomodoro principles, you will need a timer. The alarm clock on the phone does not work. To avoid the temptation to check what's new in the world, it is better to put gadgets away before the break. The online timer “ ” will help you get into a working rhythm and not get lost in unnecessary nonsense.

It is designed extremely simply. First you need to determine the number of “pomodoros” that you can realistically handle in a day. Make a list of tasks for today and note in the settings how many goals you finally have. At the same time, indicate the number of “pomodoros” in one round - that’s how many time periods there will be between long breaks.

You also determine the duration of breaks yourself. You shouldn’t give up rest completely, otherwise you’ll quickly run out of steam.

If a task will obviously take more than 25 minutes, and you can’t break it down into several stages, increase the time for one “pomodoro”. Accordingly, you can make the “tomatoes” smaller if you have to deal with a bunch of small problems.

An important rule: while the timer is counting down seconds and minutes, do not even think about doing things that are not related to the task at hand. They call you - the timer pauses, answer the call, then start the countdown and continue working. Partially completed “pomodoros” do not count: let’s say you lasted 10 minutes, then a colleague came and started a conversation with you for the remaining 15 - in theory, there should be a break, but there isn’t. Pull yourself together and continue work from where you left off.

When it's time for a break, the caring “Tomato” sends you an alert. Relax, check your email, make tea - in general, do anything for 5 minutes, but not work. After these sweet moments have passed, the Pomodoro will remind you that it’s time to get back to business.

And a little more about effective work

If proper time management is your sore point, Mikhail Bakunin will help you solve it. The Pomodoro timer is his brainchild. However, the blog talks not only about the Pomodoro technique. Tips for implementing time management principles into your life, habits that increase productivity, helpful information about the benefits of online learning - in general, everything necessary for a thinking person whose priority is professional growth.

By unlearning the habit of wasting time on unnecessary things, you improve yourself in several directions at once: the ability to concentrate on achieving a goal, self-discipline, and the ability to complete work on time.

An impressive list of tasks completed during the day is a good motivation for anyone who is used to thinking that they don’t have time to do anything. Only a person who has an inexhaustible supply of this resource can waste time on nonsense. Alas, it’s not you and not me - there are no such people at all.

Implementing time management principles can be difficult at first. The tradition of putting off important things until the last moment takes its toll: no matter how many times they did this, in the end they managed everything perfectly. Here you just need to choose what is more important to you: completing work tasks quickly and on time or wasting time on various nonsense, and then trying to catch up by the sweat of your brow. The result is worth it: managing your time in general and using the Pomodoro technique in particular will help you bring order to your life and achieve more with less effort.

Invented by Italian student Francesco Cerillo, the Pomodoro Principle has been successfully used in the fight against procrastination. It got its name because it resembles a kitchen timer in the shape of a tomato. The rules of "Pomodoro" are simple: you need to work concentratedly for 25 minutes, without distractions, and then you can allow yourself 5 minutes of idleness (even if the task is not completely solved). Well, after a short pause, you can begin a new “pomodoro” with renewed vigor.

Why exactly 25 minutes? This period of time: short enough to maintain discipline, resist distractions, and prevent burnout from working too long without rest. At the same time, it is long enough to give you a real sense of progress on a particular task.

Pauses of 5 minutes help both the brain to rest and rethink what has been done during this time. During a break, you should not do anything intellectual - go for a walk along the corridor, open the window and get some air, do a warm-up, etc. However, these are only approximate figures - everyone has the right to experimentally choose the optimal schedule, using a timer for convenience.

After four 25-minute working “pomodoros,” a longer pause of 15-30 minutes is required. This need is due to the fact that after a couple of hours of concentrated work, fatigue and a desire to ventilate a little usually sets in. At this time, you can have a snack, take a walk, just close your eyes and sit back. The main thing is not to do anything complicated, otherwise the brain will not be able to continue to work actively.

Why is Pomodoro effective?

The habit of delaying completing important tasks until the last minute is not always a sign confident person, who knows that he will catch up 80% of the work in the remaining 20% of the time. Most often, we “pull the cat by the tail” because we do not like the tasks themselves, or we are frightened by their volume, or we are afraid that we will not be able to complete the work “one hundred percent.”

But the fact remains: by ignoring important matters, a person misses opportunities, spoils relationships with superiors and colleagues, and unwittingly contributes to the accumulation of discontent within the family. The inability to relax either on weekdays (you can’t fool your conscience) or on weekends (you can’t leave the thought of looming deadlines), keeps a person in constant voltage. The trust of others in him is noticeably reduced: after all, he does not trust own plans(which he doesn’t fulfill), is always late, and the feeling of guilt leaves a stamp of self-doubt on his face.

As they like to say online, “stop putting up with this!” The Pomodoro Principle helps you focus your attention on the present moment, emphasizing the importance of continuous effort. “Pomodoro” also has a mechanism for rewarding you with rest - so you will no longer feel guilty about it - as they say, “if you’ve done the job, go for a walk safely” (albeit not for long).

Another advantage of this technique is that at the end of the day you can see how fruitful the day was: the number of completed “pomodoros” is easy to count. And if you keep track of how many blocks of time it takes to solve certain types of problems, you can learn to better predict how time will be spent. This will help make decisions about whether and how many new tasks and projects to take on.

How not to get distracted?

The first tomato in the morning should be used to warm up. We open our organizer: we think and write down what we want and need to do today from our to-do list, as well as the approximate number of “pomodoros” that they will take up. If more than 10 time blocks are required, the task should definitely be broken down into smaller pieces.

Remember: "Pomodoro" cannot be interrupted - this is 25 minutes of pure work, the minimum unit of continuous working effort. If the “pomodoro” interrupts something, reset it and start counting time again (yes, it’s unpleasant, but you need to somehow fight the habit of fussing instead of doing the real thing).

Ideally, you should have a mechanical timer at hand - unlike programs on a computer or phone, you need to manually start it, thereby confirming your determination to solve work problems. In addition, the ticking timer reminds you of itself when the brain tries to relax and switch to something simpler (and don’t feed it bread...)

When the timer goes off, check it off with an X on your to-do list and take your well-deserved five-minute break. The bell means that the current activity is finished, and there is no need to continue working for a couple more minutes, even if you are convinced that in these few minutes you can complete the task (in practice, it always turns out like in the epics: “The fairy tale will soon be told, but the deed will not be done soon.” - sorry for the folklore).

But sometimes it also happens that the task has already been completed, but the “pomodoro” is still ticking. Well, great! This is a good reason to review what has been done, evaluate and correct (often it turns out to be useful!) Small tasks, each of which does not amount to a tomato, can be combined into one pomodoro.

If your colleagues are distracting you, just warn them about Pomodoro - very soon they will get used to your working methods, and perhaps they themselves will become interested in them. If your concentration is hindered by your own flow of off-topic thoughts and ideas, quickly write them down on paper and return to work - you can look at this list during a five-minute break (then decide whether it is so important to do those things that distracted you).

Don't be discouraged if you find it difficult at first not to get distracted, or if the productivity of each pomodoro turns out to be lower than expected. Don't give up and master the technique with confidence - the next pomodoro will certainly be better! After a month of constant training, I manage to gain 10-12 tomatoes without discomfort, and the record so far is 16 tomatoes (actually, 8 working hours).

Under no circumstances should you “make up for lost time” through your legal breaks - after all, working or studying yourself from morning to night is simply ineffective. Only with regular breaks does the Pomodoro guarantee consistently high performance at your own pace.

Funny name, isn't it? When I saw the title of the book, for some reason I immediately decided that I had to read it, which I actually did, within a few days. I’ll say right away that the book is not written very easily and is a little difficult to read, but at least, for me. It’s not that a lot of abstruse words and definitions are used there, it’s just that the information is presented very concisely and, in fact, it is great amount. But to read this one thing, you need to remember, put aside the most important points in your memory so you can put them into practice. Therefore, if you decide to read this book, be sure to keep a pen with a piece of paper nearby and mark the important points.

Pomodoro Time Management: Basic Principles

The Pomodoro method is a time management tool that was invented quite a long time ago by the Italian Francesco Zirillo. It is aimed at increasing the efficiency of the task being performed. The Pomodoro method allows you to concentrate and immerse yourself in work for 25 minutes and complete it productively.

Surely everyone has seen a kitchen timer in the form of this vegetable, which housewives often use. This method of organizing time is named after him. In practice it is very simple, but very effective. Many people, both ordinary people and businessmen, have already felt the benefits of it. Even some large companies We introduced the Pomodoro method into our work, which undoubtedly helped a lot in planning our time, and most importantly, spending it productively only on completing tasks.

Now I want to tell you about some principles and the very mechanism of action of this method.

What's the Pomodoro Method?

And it is very simple and includes 6 steps.

Clearly formulate the task for the next half hour.
Set a timer for 25 minutes and get to work.
Once the time is up, finish the job.
Take a 5 minute break. At this time, you should not think about work, but relax and unwind.
After resting, set the timer again and continue working on the same task or on a new one.
Every 4-5 pomodoros (25 minutes), take a long break of 15-30 minutes.

Why did the author of the technique choose a period of active work of 25 minutes? Everything is explained scientifically. It turns out that the brain is ready for effective and productive work during this particular period of time. After a thirty-minute load, he perceives and processes information differently, one might say with errors. Therefore, he needs a regular five-minute break.

It is also very important not to be distracted during pomodoro, either by external or internal stimuli. If, while performing a task, an unexpected but very important thought came to you, or you remembered something, then you should record everything on paper and continue working further.

In general, there are a lot of nuances in the Pomodoro method. The book outlines many tools, how to “use” them correctly, how to solve problems that arise along the way, for example, what to do if you get distracted during a pomodoro or what to do if you complete a task before the timer rings. Absolutely everything is taken into account. But this is not the end.

There are 5 steps to the Pomodoro Method:

Planning. At this stage, you make a list of things you want to do and, based on it, create a to-do list for the day.
Tracking. Throughout the day, you collect information about how much time you spent on tomatoes, how much was left and how much was missing.
Recording. All data should be recorded on paper and not stored in the head.
Processing and visualization. At the end of the day, you process all the information received, draw a conclusion, and develop a plan to improve your performance.

Now all this may seem complicated, but if you read the book, no questions will arise. In addition, you will master this technique to perfection, which will undoubtedly benefit you.

And also, don’t try to read the book at once, there’s so much written there that it’s not always possible to remember everything in your head. Be patient and gradually study it, make notes, write notes. Then you will succeed.