I’ve been trying a Pomodoro timer in TickTick and it’s changing how I approach my work day. I’ve been using it for two days so far and here are the differences I notice:
- When my mind knows I’ll get a break at 25 minutes, it allows me to focus more.
- It’s easier to say not to slack messages or impulses to open the news if I know I’ll have time for those things later.
- A 5 min break is perfect.
- If a distraction pops up, I write it down in my journal and tell myself I can follow up during my break.
- 25 minutes is short. It’s amazing how time flies.
I used to hate timing myself after working in consulting. I vowed I would never work on the clock ever again. But don’t the best athletes pace themselves? Any marathon trainer knows how to set a pace and have rest periods. Why wouldn’t the same principles apply to cognitive work?
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