An extra nugget from a lesson in Jim Kwik’s speed reading program, he covered something that sparked a few thoughts. It caused me to stop and think about the way we study and work.
He mentioned the Pomodoro Technique, it is a time management tool developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s.
Here is how it works you set a timer for 25 minutes then take a 5 minute break.
On that break, take a few deep breaths (diaphragm breaths), get something to drink and stretch or move around a little.
So to make it clear you create your todo list and divide it into Porodoro’s. Remember, every 4 Porodoro’s you take a 30 minute break…
If you get interrupted during a Porodoro you use the rest of the time to check over your work.. Then start again on the next full Porodoro.
Remember it is important to check off each task as you would on your normal todo list…
I would rather break the task down be and turn it into mini projects anyway..
My Coach Ryan Niddel teaches a 45 minute / 15 minute technique. I can’t remember, if he told me where he discovered it..?
It looks like this:
You work 45 minutes, take a 15 minute break. Then you work another 45 minutes, one more 15 minute break. After two sessions / 90 minutes, take a longer break – 30 minutes or so.
If possible when you break, go outside and walk around.
So you can’t go outside walk, then go to a different work area, the water cooler, get away from your work area for a minute.
The other thing that Ryan taught me about using this is, this technique not only applies to work. It should work for most simple decisions as well.
Ex. You are you looking for software to help with a simple task…. at the end of the 45 minutes of research “make a decision”.
If you can’t narrow it down to at least the top two, with an uninterrupted 45 minute window, pass it on to someone else on your team.
Don’t have a team ask a question on a service like upwork or fiverr, post a question on Facebook.
The fact you could not make a decision in 45 minutes, shows, you may waste all your time on something that isn’t going to move the needle for you that today.
My opinion they both will work well, especially once you see the amount of work you get done.
They both help you to remember much more of the work you completed or subject you studied.
Wonder how you will remember more?
Google the primacy vs recency effect in social psychology, we remember much more about the beginning and end and lose the details in the middle.
These techniques give you more starts and stops… leaving a lot less in the middle to forget.
Another point to remember is Parkinson’s Law. Thanks Darren Hardy for telling me about this one.
It says the amount punt of time you give yourself to do something, it’s going to take you that long to complete it.
Think about times it’s been down to the wire and you started on something that you’ve know about, but kept putting it off…
If you are like me you made it happen in the crunch…
No matter how you choose to get things done, I hope this helps give you a few ideas.