perfect pomodoro break

Perfect pomodorotechnique break

I found that best way to have perfect refreshing short 5 minutes break in pomodoro technique is doing nothing.
When I start doing something during short break I'm always at risk going too far and have mind involved into certain process instead of having rest and be fresh for next pomodori.

Sometimes it's hard to stop thinking about work,especially when you have busy day and big task list.
Mind is drifting into nearest most suitable to it's current state activity.
It's important to remain calm and remove excitement and worries you have after making last pomodori.
So my way doing short pomodoro break is to calm down, feel life and chill for 5 minutes.

If you found your perfect way to spend pomodoro technique break, please feel free to share.
There is also one interesting thing called productivity flow


>>Pomodoro technique game

productivity flow

There is continued period of maximum productivity and maximum involvement in the work which programmers called flow.
Pomodoro technique helps perfectly to get into the flow - when you maximum focused on the task and avoid interruptions it's a matter of time when you get into flow and continue staying in it.

But there is a little problem here : breaks.
When I'm in a flow I don't want to break it an be dragged out by timer.

So I found good solution for this - I just skip break and continue working until next break I'm willing to take.
And Pomodorium timer is nice and quiet so in many cases when I'm maximum involved into work I don't hear it beeping break.
But when flow breaks I hear timer and take nearest break.

>> Pomodoro technique game - how to turn work into game !

pomodoro todo list and planning

Planning is essential in pomdoro technique.
I found very useful to spend first pomodori as planning pomodoro by working on tasks list and planning well defined tasks.
But not only as tasks definitions but as next actions on project.
And the more specific tasks are in todo-list the more productive will be work, for example :
not just

1. .develop application

but

1. Create draft specification of the app: describe basic functionality
2. Design application screens
3. Enumerate basic processes
4. Describe first basic process
5. etc..

Having more specific tasks in todo-list helps to pickup tasks quickly and start working on it right away.

Practicing this technique gives focus on concrete task but it's also required to maintain focus on whole project.When I stack on some task I usually take couple reconciliation pomdoro to review and update task list and make tasks in todo list as specific as possible.

Here are printed paper task lists:

Original pomdoro paper todo list created by developed by Francesco Cirillo:

Download PDF.

Alternative printable todo lists:

Emergent task planner by David Seah:

Open planner page with instructions and pdf links.

printable whole week planner :

download pdf Version.

>>Pomodoro technique RPG game!

Thank you

We are getting a lot of positive feedback from people around the world who are using Pomodorium.
Thank you All for your support and good comments about this pomodoro technique game.
It's nice to know that our little application helps people beat procrastination and achieve more.

why pomodoro timers are boring and what we can do about it.

We were using couple pomodoro timers before, from console scripts to online pomodoro counters.
But all pomodoro timers are the same - they are just counters with sounds.

So we decided to create something more entertaining and something that will encourage to complete more pomodori
and bring more fun to whole pomodoro technique process.

We had this idea of creating pomodoro timer with rpg-like game, a little bit silly idea , but we were surprised how many customers are using this game and how many pomodori can be made to get cool gear to your character

Check out how to play page to see details.

the pomodoro technique vs ...

Failed on pomodoro technique ? Try our new game based on pomodoro technique.
Many people have been failed on the pomodoro technique because somethimes it's too boring and it's hard to motivate yourself do another pomodori.

This is why we created Pomodorium - pomodoro technique game to have more fun and more motivation in practicing pomodoro technique.
We hope this little application will help you to keep moving on your tasks/projects.

Pomodoro timer online score

Here is instruction how to upload your score on Pomodorium.com - Pomodoro technique GAME.

Pomodorium online score board available by this url for all users: http://www.pomodorium.com/p/score.html

1. Start Pomodorium application
2. Click on Menu/My Character to open Character screen.
3. On Character screen find Name text field (under Avatar image) and put name you want to see on score board.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Optional: Adding avatar on score board
   
   On Character screen please find avatar url text field and put url of the image you would like to see on score board.
   Image must be available online.
   You can use thumbnail image from Twitter or Facebook - In browser left click on image you like, select "Copy Image Location" and paste it into avatar url text field.
   
5. After changing Name and avatar url on character screen click on "Close and Save" button to close Character screen.
6. Click on Menu/Submit Score to submit score to the server. You should get message "Score has been submitted"
7. Click on Menu/View Score to open score page in your browser, make sure data from your timer has been submitted online.

Please feel free to leave comment to this page
contact us directly at pomodorium-at-gmail.com if you have any problems with submitting your score to Pomodorium server.

Pomodoro method

The main goal of pomodoro method or pomodoro technique is to focus and work on one single task for 25 minutes and avoid any possible interruptions.
Narrowed focus and zero interruptions helps to achieve maximum productivity in short period of time.
This method or technique was called "Pomodoro technique" after tomato-shaped kitchen timer (from Italian "Pomodoro" /tomato/).

There are two periods of times those are changing one after another - working and breaks.
Working period of time lasts 25 minutes, short break lasts 5 minutes, long breaks should be taken after completing 4-work periods.

Here is flowchart of pomodoro method (click on image to see bigger picture)

Pomodoro method is very helpful when you want to avoid distractions stay productive and especially for tasks those required maximum concentration.

Before staring you will need timer and two papers - Task List and Activity Inventory.
First important step is to create Task List.
Usually my first task is planning when I see what I'm going to do during a day, If you are practicing GTD in could be next actions on the project.

Second page Activity Inventory. is used to note urgent things that pop-up during working period.
For example:
when you are working on some task from task list and you have idea about writing email , put "Write email to ... about ..." into Activity Inventory list.
So you will not interrupt your work on the task from task list.

Later when you will have short or long break (depending how many work sessions you have completed) you can work
on urgent things you have in Activity Inventory.

This is basically all about using pomoro method or pomodoro technique.
Please refer to flow chart to handle specific situation.

pomodoro technique flowchart

Thank you everybody for comments and support regarding latest flowchart.
Here is new updated version of pomodoro technique flowchart with interruptions added.

It looks like interruptions are making the whole chart more complicated and overloaded ,
but dealing with interruptions is very important part of pomodoro technique.
So I think it is necessary to have them on flowchart.

Check out pomodoro technique game.
Here is a link to download bigger chart picture.




Pomodoro technique game