You choose a task that is to be accomplished in a certain time Set the Pomodoro timer to 25 minutes. Work on the task until the timer rings. Record the status of the task. Take a short break (usually 5 minutes) Set the Pomodoro timer again. Work on the task until the timer rings. Take a short break. Take a longer break after 4 Pomodoro timer rings.
This process continues until the task is completed. This is a successful time management technique used by many professionals around the world. If you are a computer geek and most of your work is related to computers, you can apply this technique using software.
Pomodo7o is a tiny, portable and open source software which can emulate the Pomodoro technique on a Windows 7 computer in an innovative way. When opened, it will start the timer of 25 minutes (which is the default in Pomodoro technique) and will start displaying a progress bar on its own icon on the taskbar. The screenshot is given below:
When we look at the application, the application itself has only three buttons. Reset, Pause and Take a break. All the three buttons are self explanatory. Reset will reset the timer to zero minutes. If you want to stop working on your task for a while, you can press the Pause button. And if you want to take a break before 25 minutes, you can just press Take a break button. The green taskbar will turn orange after fifteen minutes and then red when the timer is about to ring.
Then the pause icon will appear and it will display the same green to red taskbar for five minutes. The same Poromodo cycle will continue as discussed above. This will make sure that you’re working on your tasks efficiently and taking a break during your work timings making you more productive and fresh at the same time. Download Pomodo7o and manage your time efficiently. Please note that Pomodo7o is only compatible with Windows 7. If you want to use Pomodoro technique on other Operating Systems, you can try out the following apps but these apps may not be as simple as Pomodo7o. Tomighty is a little advanced desktop timer which can emulate the Pomodoro technique with advanced functions and customizations, like setting a custom timer, a custom break etc. Pomodairo is an Adobe Air application which can be run on any platform supporting Adobe Air. Focus Booster is another application which comes in three flavors including Desktop app, Adobe Air and and an online version. Best for those who like to install the application on their computers. I hope all these productivity and time management will help the user manage time more efficiently and be more productive. I use these time management techniques myself when I’m writing articles. This helps me focus on the article and the article gets completed in the allotted time. Image credit: Il pomodoro.jpg
