You can do a lot in 25 minutes

The case for just getting it done

Human nature is funny. We can spend a lot of time convincing ourselves that we don’t have time for some task or another. Maybe it’s sitting down and doing an expense report after two work trips. Maybe it’s sending holiday cards or creating an annual photo book.

Now maybe people don’t actually want to do these things (understandable!) but if you do, or if they must get done, then the irony of all this ruminating is that you often can get through a lot in a short amount of time. They key is to focus for a bit, then reward yourself with a break.

Tomatoes and time

This brings me to the Pomodoro Technique — a simple but often effective approach to work that you might not be intrinsically motivated to do.

The Pomodoro Technique was developed by Francesco Cirillo, a software developer and productivity expert who came up with the concept as a student. The name comes from the classic kitchen timer that’s shaped like a tomato, which is “pomodoro” in Italian. But any timer will work.

To use this approach, you identify a task or a component of a task that you need to do. You set your timer, and get started. When the timer goes off, make a check mark to indicate you’ve completed 25 minutes of solid work. Take a short break, then repeat the process until you’ve completed four “Pomodoros” — that is, four 25-minute sprints. At that point, take a slightly longer break and start the process again if you’d like.

I think there are a few reasons this method works for many people. First, you have a clear goal. You know what you need to do. You don’t sit down to “work” for 25 minutes. You have a specific accomplishment you’re working toward.

Second, you’re focusing on nothing but that goal for 25 minutes. You’re mono-tasking. While plenty of people take pride in their ability to multitask, they tend to overestimate their abilities. We’ve all had days when we’ve had multiple projects in play, plus a continual stream of e-mails and texts and other interruptions — and haven’t made progress on anything. Multitasking feels efficient, but it’s not.

Third, this technique promises that you only need to work a fixed, and limited, amount of time before you can take a break or do something else. Plenty of tasks can expand to fill whatever time you give them. That can make them feel overwhelming. When you know your time is limited, you work more efficiently.

When there is no flow

Now, of course, not all work lends itself to this sense of racing against the clock. When I’m editing a book manuscript, for instance, I like to wallow in time. I don’t want to chop it up into 25 minute blocks. Anything where you might achieve a real sense of flow might not be the best choice for setting a timer.

But plenty of work — like filing those expense reports — is never going to lead to a sense of flow. And plenty of tasks feel bigger than they probably are. You might be surprised at what you can get through in 25 minutes. Indeed, this might be a useful technique if you are home with a sick kid but still need to get some work done (as often happens this time of year!). A lot of children’s TV shows are about 22 minutes. That’s just about one “Pomodoro.” Turn on the TV and see what you can manage before it’s time to check in again. You might wind up being more productive than you expected!