What's wrong with Pomodoro?
Harness your productivity with uninterrupted work sessions guided by your natural flow state
Bálint Gáspár
6/3/20232 min read
I've always been a fan of using timers for my learning sessions. It was a simple and effective way to stay focused. I used to set a 60-minute timer and made a rule for myself to not get up until it went off. This technique is known as the Pomodoro Technique, where you work in 20-minute intervals.
But here's the thing, I started noticing a problem with this approach. By limiting myself to both a minimum and maximum time for learning, I found myself cutting off sessions even when I was in the flow state. It felt counterintuitive, like something was off with the technique.
I realized I needed new rules. The key difference between a timer and a stopwatch is that the latter is unlimited. If you're lucky enough to enter a state of flow by the end of your study session, you forget about the time, and there's no timer reminding you to stop. If we want to be more productive, we should spend more time in the flow state, fully engaged in the activity we're doing. However, it's also important to set a minimum threshold for ourselves. So, I decided to experiment. On a typical day, my plan was to work for four sessions of 60 minutes each and two sessions of 30 minutes. (as you see right on the illustration) The results were remarkable! I achieved almost 1 entire hour increase in productivity with this little trick. Plus, it looked so much better on my screen! 😄
Here's my rule: I'm allowed to glance at the stopwatch only twice during a 60-minute interval to check how long I've been learning. If I use up both of my glances, I can say with reasonable accuracy when the time is up. However, if I find myself frequently checking the stopwatch, it's a sign that I'm not fully engaged in the process, and it's better to take a break.
Of course, you can set your own rules based on your preferences and goals. The idea is to make the learning process more playful and effective at the same time.
Give it a try and see how it works for you! 😉✌️
Make it stick!
I understand that it might seem overwhelming at first, but don't worry, you don't have to understand everything right away. I believe, it's important to have a good understanding of something in order to really learn it well, especially when it comes to complex concepts (and trust me, it's going to be complex!). That's where the power of time comes in. Sometimes all you need to do is take some time to break it down, read and digest the information, and then take a break. After that, you can come back to it and re-read, applying your new experience to the concept. You can keep doing that, re-reading and tweaking until you really get a handle on it and feel confident in your understanding. It might take some time and patience but you can do it! 💪
I might layout a concept starting with idea A, then move on to B, then C, and then D. But, everyone's brain works differently, and for you, it maybe makes more sense if we start with B, then talk about A, then move on to C, go back to A again, and then finish with D. That way, your brain can make better sense of the information and make more connections.
I highly recommend downloading the free app and saving the link to this blog post in your schedule. This is because I genuinely believe it will be helpful for you and I truly care about your success. By saving the link and accessing it through the app, you can review the information whenever you have a spare moment and reinforce your understanding. It's a small step, but it can make a big difference in your learning journey. So please, take my advice to heart and give it a try!
Stay in the game, there are many more articles to come! 😉