Ang Peregrino Recommends 84: Pomodoro Timer
The Pomodoro Timer
URL: http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/development_tools/pomodoro.html
I personally think this app is heaven sent! Along with Getting Things Done (GTD), the Pomodoro Technique ranks up there in one of the great inventions of mankind. I’m not kidding!
The topic for today is as much about the Pomodoro Technique as it is about this great mac timer.
For you to understand the Pomodoro Timer, you have to understand the Pomodoro Technique. [Rightclick the link to go to the Pomodoro Technique site]
The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method. For many of us time is an enemy. The anxiety triggered by “the ticking clock” and deadlines to be met leads to ineffective work and study habits and procrastination. The Pomodoro Technique transforms time into a valuable ally.
Francesco Cirillo created the Pomodoro Technique in 1992 after a long search to improve his own study habits. Starting in the late ‘90s the technique was embraced by professional teams. It can help us accomplish what we want to do and chart continuous improvement in the way we do it.
The basic unit of work in the Pomodoro Technique can be split in five simple steps:
1. Choose a task to be accomplished
2. Set the Pomodoro to 25 minutes (the Pomodoro is the timer)
3. Work on the task until the Pomodoro rings, then put a check on your sheet of paper
4. Take a short break (5 minutes is OK)
5. Every 4 Pomodoros take a longer break
It sounds innocuous and simple right? But you have to try it. You will see a significant improvement in your speed and your focus at work. Read the free ebook from the site and you’ll learn what the fuss is all about and how it works. I tell you, you’ll be amazed at just how simple, yet effective the technique is.
The app is something I use to help me “live out” the Pomodoro Technique in my life and work. It is a very “light” desktop application for Time Management on your Mac OSX. Pomodoro stays silently on your status bar. You can only start/stop it or make interruptions and resume. You can use the keyboard to manage your pomodoro effectively, without touching the mouse. Add a meaningful description, press Ok and pomodoro starts. It discreetly notifies you of important Time events using Growl, via a Voice Message, a twit in twitter or your own (Applescript) notifications.
When the pomodoro is done, you can change the name you gave in your backlog window if you like. The backlog window can contain all your done pomodoros: it’s your job to delete old pomodoros from it with the delete button. The session stats tab in the same panel contains session details of your pomodoros, interruptions and resets.
I think this is the best Pomodoro Timer for the Mac around.
Some Important Links:
- The Pomodoro Technique Website
- Cirillo’s Scrapbook: the blog of Francesco Cirillo, creator of the Pomodoro Technique
Oh, and I wrote this post in just one Pomodoro!
