Many of us are always searching for the optimal way to manage our time, after all, it is the most precious resource we have. I’ve tried a number of things, and varied from liking them, to hating them, to kind of dealing with them. I haven’t found the perfect method for me yet, but I figured it would be worth sharing the knowledge I’ve picked up along the way.
The Pomodoro Technique
I first decided to try the Pomodoro Technique, because the price was right, aka free. While, of course, you can purchase books and accessories to go along with it, everything you need to get started is freely available on their website. If you’re a Mac user, there’s an app called Be Focused. It has a free version which is more than enough to let you get started. The app lets you run some reports, start a task list, and all sorts of great things.
(What the free version of the Be Focused app looks like, I can live with the ad for the right price)
What It Is
With this technique, you choose a task you want to accomplish and work on it in 25 minute intervals. You get a short break after every Pomodoro, or time period, and a longer one after every four Pomodoros. The theory is you aren’t supposed to be interrupted during the intervals, but the Be Focused app does have a pause button.
What I Think Of It
This is a technique I actually like, for the most part. I’ll blow by the breaks and restart the timer if I’m really into something (which probably defeats some purpose of this method). There are times I just don’t want to take that break if I’m in the middle of something, but other times I’ll use that pause button if something else comes up. I also don’t use this method all the time, just during periods of contention, or sometimes when I have a number of tasks I’m working on at once. This method is also good for tasks you aren’t that into, after all, it’s only 25 minutes. Sometimes I’ve found once I’ve done a Pomodoro or two on something I’m not enjoying, I actually start to enjoy it.
This is one of those tools I like to bring out at certain times. It may be worth further exploration and use, but for me it gets the job done when I need it to. If you’re looking to get started with attempting to manage your time better, I think this method is one of the better ones to use. My first foray into time management was something else, and I wasn’t really a fan. That’s a review for another time.
If I was to rate this on the vMiss scale of Rocket Launches, with 1 being a scrub, and 5 having me riding on the rocket, I would give it a 3.5 which would translate to watching a night launch.
3.5/5
Melissa is an Independent Technology Analyst & Content Creator, focused on IT infrastructure and information security. She is a VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX-236) and has spent her career focused on the full IT infrastructure stack.