1
An Introduction to The Pomodoro Technique Time Management
Erin N. McGee
MIST Department, California State University Monterey Bay
IST511- Writing Workshop
Dr. Sarah Evanick
November 1, 2020
2
An Introduction to The Pomodoro Technique Time Management
Figure 1: How are a tomato and productivity related? (photo credit: Erin McGee, 2020)
In the late 1980’s Francesco Cirillo invented The Pomodoro Technique of time
management. His theory is by breaking down a larger task into manageable chunks of 25
minutes, taking 5-minute breaks in between, tasks become more accomplishable. This method
allows for fewer distractions and true focus during the 25-minute intervals. “For many people,
time is an enemy. We race against the clock to finish assignments and meet deadlines. The
Pomodoro Technique teaches you to work with time, instead of struggling against it. A
revolutionary time management system, it is at once deceptively simple to learn and life-
changing to use” (francescocirillo.com, 2020). His use of an old fashion pomodoro tomato timer,
gives the method its name, but any timer may be used. In addition, there are many apps and
websites available to keep track of time spent on task using The Pomodoro Technique (tomato-
timer.com, 2020).
Cirillo offers many books,
trainings, and mentoring
3
opportunities on his website (francescocirillo.com, 2020), but in its simplest form all you really
Figure 2: The Pomodoro Technique simplified
need to use The Pomodoro Technique is a timer, a paper, and a pencil. Cirillo and his team of
(sketchplantations.com, 2020)
consultants trained in his productivity methods offer more complicated forms of instruction for
teams, companies, and individuals, but as you can see in Figure 2, the basic method is quite
simple. You plan your task in terms of “Pomodoros” or 25-minute increments, take a 5-minute
break in between your Pomodoros and once you have completed 4 Pomodoros, you can then take
a longer break. Breaks should include something non-work related such as a meditation, taking a
quick walk, grabbing a cup of tea, or an activity that brings you joy.
6 Reasons to Use The Pomodoro Technique
It’s simple and easy to use (you can start using it at ANY age!)
Productivity
Focus and lessening distractions
Improve motivation
Simplify and organize tasks
Reduce the length of team meetings
How I Used The Pomodoro Technique for this Assignment
Pomodoro 1 (25 Minutes) Watch videos about Word Document formatting
Break (5 Minutes) Stretch
Pomodoro 2 (25 Minutes) Pull content together: graphics, websites, etc.
Break (5 Minutes) Get a drink from the kitchen and pet the dogs
Pomodoro 3 (25 Minutes) Write the content and start formatting
Break (5 Minutes) Close my eyes to meditate (try not to fall asleep)
Pomodoro 4 (25 Minutes) Work on the table and references page
BIG Break (20 Minutes) Read for pleasure
My Results After One Round of Pomodoros
4
I didn’t manage to complete this entire Word assignment in a round of Pomodoros and I
am not certain my ‘References’ page is correct, but this method helped me focus and somewhat
avoid distractions. This probably had to do with my knowing I had a break coming up and
knowing I can do anything for 25-minutes. In addition to using the online tomato timer (tomato-
timer.com, 2020) I turned off the notifications on my computer and left my phone in the other
room. I actually think 25-minutes may be too short for me because I like to finish a piece of a
task before moving on to the next and felt forced to take a break. Overall, I do recommend trying
it if you are looking for motivation and focus.
5
References
Cerillo Consulting GMBH. (2011-2020). Do more and have fun with time management.
Francesco Cirillo. https://francescocirillo.com/pages/pomodoro-technique
Hey, J. (2020). Sketchplanations. https://sketchplanations.com/the-pomodoro-technique
Tomato Timer. (2020). Tomato Timer. https://tomato-timer.com/#
