For those people who freelance for a living, a usual working day can look very different to that of an employee who works for someone else. With no set start and end times and no one looking over your shoulder to check on your progress, it is solely up to you to determine your own working hours when you become freelance.
However, for some people not great at time management, this often poses a problem as to what methods to effectively use. If you have been used to working to someone else’s time requirements, the enormity of being responsible for ensuring your work is done and on time is often a worry for new freelancers.
This is where the hugely popular technique Pomodoro could help significantly.
What Is Pomodoro?
Pomodoro is a time management technique which works on getting tasks done effectively but in short bursts of time increments, rather than lengthy processes.
Designed back in the early nineties by Francesco Cirillo, the system works on a fundamental algorithm:
- Decide on what task you need to get done
- Set your timer for 25 minutes
- Start working on your job for the full 25 minutes uninterrupted
- When the timer ends, take a 5-minute break
- Repeat the process for the next task
The concept was named after a tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo often used to track his work when he was a university student!
Why Pomodoro Is So Effective
Pomodoro is favored by many people because of its ability to train your brain to focus on specific tasks for short periods. Many state that their attention span and concentration levels improve dramatically through this technique as the short time and subsequent regular breaks keep you motivated, alongside ensuring that creative spurt remains with you throughout each task.
