How a tomato changed my life

Every now and then a game changer comes into your life. Something that completely transforms your experience and elevates you to a new level of thought and performance. It could be a relationship, a book, a technique or, in this case, a tomato. But not just any tomato – a Pomodoro. Let me explain.

Pomodoro is the Italian word for tomato. It is also the first half of the name of an increasingly popular productivity technique - The Pomodoro Technique™ (P.T.) It got this peculiar comestible designation because the creator – Francesco Cirillo – used a tomato-shaped kitchen timer when developing the system. You can read more on the official site here.

For now, let me explain, in brief, how the technique is applied.

How to use The Pomodoro Technique™ - a quick guide

Image credit: http://www.happyasannie.com/the-pomodoro-technique/

The Pomodoro Technique itself is simple enough. It is a kind of productivity protocol – a procedure within which to work that enables you to maximize your productivity. And, at its core, it is incredibly easy to implement.Here are the essential steps:

1. Decide on the task to be done and select (or create) a distraction-free space to do it.

2. Set your tomato timer for 25 minutes. Any timer will do as long as it has an audible ticking sound and a ringer to signal the end of the set time period. You can read more on why this is important under the section heading The Pomodoro Technique™ - Why it works below.

3. Start the timer and get your butt to work! Work on the proposal, the report, the messy closet, the software code, the presentation or whatever it is – just work on it. And don’t stop until the ringer goes. It is critical you focus absolutely while the ticking is going for your 25-minute period. This is one Pomodoro. To be a true Pomodoro, you cannot have been distracted or interrupted midway. If you are significantly interrupted, you cannot “pause” and “resume”. You must cancel the Pomodoro and start again. This is critical.

4. Once you have successfully completed a true Pomodoro signaled by the ringer, set the timer for 5 minutes. Start the timer and rest. Do not do any work during this time. Do whatever helps you relax - take a walk, make some tea, do some pushups, meditate, do whatever until the ringer goes again for the end of 5 minutes.

5. After the ringer goes, the break is over! Start another Pomodoro. That is another 25-minute session of distraction-free focused work. Followed, again by a timed 5-minute break.

6. After your 4th Pomodoro, your break increases from five to 20 minutes. This sequence of 3 Pomodoros punctuated by three short five-minute breaks and a fourth Pomodoro followed by a long 20-minute break is what playfully call a tomato-cycle.

7. Following the 20-minute long break, you may start the cycle again and repeat until you are spent or satisfied.

That’s it! And, as simple as it seems, it works like a charm.

Discovering the Pomodoro Technique

My 1st encounter with the tell-tale Pomodoro came at a productivity presentation where a professional project manager was explaining how she used the technique to

(a) beat procrastination,

(b) improve time projections and

(c) crush deadlines.

I thought to myself, Yes! Yes!! And YES!!!

What followed for me was typical for whenever I discover a concept I suspect to be valuable - I bite on it like a labradoodle on a bacon-scented chew toy. This was no different. Except it was a Pomodoro timer, not a chew toy - and there was virtually no biting.I kid of course. There was some biting.I feverishly began reading up on it and seeking opportunities to apply it to my work. I even bought a productivity planner that incorporates it which I used consistently for over 18 months. And of course, I bought a tomato timer too.These were my labradoodle equivalents of drooling, chewing, shaking and vigorous tail-wagging.After nearly 2 years of applying the Pomodoro Technique, I can say with all confidence that it works!

The Pomodoro Technique™ - Why it works

There is a saying that goes

any fool can make things complicated but it takes a genius to make things simple

P.T works on so many different levels while remaining supremely simple and this is part of what makes me giddy with admiration for its elegance.You can skip this part of this article if you wish. The technique will work for you whether you know why or not.But if you're curious like me, then read on to discover three reasons why the technique works so well.

Distraction Elimination

The fact that the Pomodoro technique requires you to focus for the duration of the Pomodoro and postpone your rest and your mind-wandering and day-dreaming until the 5-minute breaks creates an immense degree of concentration. Concentration, which as you know from this article, is critical for producing good work. To read more and concentration, check-out this post here.This distraction elimination factor of PT forces you to marshal your energies to the task at hand (or head).

Neuro-association - The proof is in the ticking

Your brain is an association creation machine. Indeed there is growing research that suggests that the primary work of the brain – what it occupies itself with the most – is exactly that – creating associations.But what does this have to do with a tomato timer? Well, the proof is in the ticking.You see, the ticking sound the timer makes while you work triggers an association in your brain between the ticking and deep focus. After a while practising P.T, something interesting begins to happen - every time the ticking starts you find yourself automatically entering into a state of deep concentration where you do great work.This is very powerful because even when you're not in the mood to work simply setting a timer going can launch you into a reverie of productivity. It is like having a productivity super-pill on demand.

Procrastination annihilation

The third reason why the Pomodoro Technique works so well is that it helps you overcome procrastination by moving your focus from the product or outcome you are trying to achieve to the process.The tomato timer does not judge the quality of your art, the accuracy of your budget or the prettiness of your presentation slide deck.As long as you stick to doing the work for the 25 minutes, you win!This concept by itself is very powerful and I highly recommend you spend a few minutes reading this article where I go into more detail.For now, know that the Pomodoro Technique, when used correctly, is a procrastination-buster. If nothing else, this alone makes it worth a try.

Some added benefits of the tomato – cheating time

Personally, I find P.T to be an effective way to make it through the day in a productive way. If you have ever felt your workday dragging, pull out your tomato timer, set a task and get to work. After just one cycle you would have been working for over 2 hours! And it won’t even feel like it.Within a few Pomodoro cycles, it will be time to go home.Just be careful though, it gets addictive and you may find yourself missing meetings while revelling in a sea of positive productivity vibes to the tune of a ticking timer.

Master your time projections with the Pomodoro Technique.

After a while using the Pomodoro technique, you will get a good sense for how long (i.e how many Pomodoros) it takes to complete work that you do regularly.You will also be able to tell if you are getting more efficient at your work and by how much.For example, using the Pomodoro Technique, I can estimate, to within 15 minutes how long on average it takes me to go from a concept to a finished presentation, seminar, speech or article. Of course, I avoid the planning fallacy by still giving myself some buffer room. But P.T gives me a reliable starting point.

Try it for yourself

The Pomodoro Technique is one habit, right alongside meditation and the discipline of writing things down that has transformed my productivityAs I write this, I am in the fourth Pomodoro of my morning writing at 8.45am and I am already nearing the end of 2 rough drafts.Granted, coffee helps. But that’s a discussion for another time 😊My point? The Pomodoro Technique leverages some of the most powerful productivity principles into a simple procedure that is immediately applicable and immensely practical. I highly recommend it.Today, my tomato timer sits innocuously on my office desk. Often silent and unassuming but ever ready to spark me into a productivity reverie with a gentle twist. Its ticking has become the soundtrack for a lot of the work I have been proud of in recent times.That is how a tomato changed my life – and how, I believe, it can change yours. Give it a shot.Until the next post, be your best and do your best.