Being Productive with the Pomodoro Technique

?music playing? [treehouse presents] 0:00 [Quick Tips] [Being Productive with the Pomodoro Technique with Pasan Premaratne] 0:02 Hi, I'm Pasan. 0:05 In this Treehouse Quick Tip, we're going to talk about being productive. 0:07 We all have so many distractions in our lives nowadays-- 0:10 from the usual stuff, like e-mail and news, to some of the newer culprits 0:13 like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 0:17 Now, with all this going on and grabbing our attention, 0:19 how do we focus on our daily tasks? 0:22 Let's take a look at a time management technique that can help us buckle down 0:24 and cross things off our list. 0:28 [http://www.pomodorotechnique.com] 0:30 In this video, we're going to talk about the Pomodoro Technique. 0:31 In the late 1980's, an Italian grad student came up with a simple, 0:33 yet effective way to manage his time using a simple kitchen timer. 0:37 Because his timer at the time resembled a tomato, 0:41 and the Italian word for tomato is pomodoro, 0:44 he called his technique the Pomodoro Technique. 0:47 The process is very simple. 0:50 You choose a task and set a timer for 25 minutes. 0:51 Now this can be either an actual timer or a timer you use on your computer. 0:54 Some people recommend that whatever timer you use, 0:58 you make sure you hear a ticking sound because it will help you focus. 1:01 Then you work on that task without stopping for 25 minutes. 1:04 And when you're done, you stop and take a 5 minute break. 1:08 Going through a 25 minute task without stopping 1:12 is known as completing one pomodoro. 1:14 Before you start a pomodoro, you pick a task and write it down. 1:16 Now, this can be any task that requires a level of concentration. 1:20 You then focus solely on that task for 25 minutes. 1:24 Now, this is the opposite of multitasking, 1:27 and by focusing on that one specific task, you can get quite far. 1:30 If there is any interruption of any sort, you can take a break, of course, 1:34 but then you have to restart your timer. 1:38 You only complete a pomodoro by working for 25 minutes straight. 1:40 Then, every 3 to 4 pomodoros, you take a longer 15 minute break. 1:44 The reason we restart the timer is so that we can train our brains 1:48 to work at 25 minute intervals without feeling the urge to distract ourselves. 1:52 The Pomodoro Technique is very simple, 1:57 and with a timer you can get started immediately on completing tasks. 2:00 ?music playing? [treehouse] 2:03 If you'd like to see more advanced videos and tutorials like this one, 2:05 go to teamtreehouse.com and start learning for free. 2:09 ?music playing? 2:13

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