The Pomodoro Technique by Francesco Cirillo, Review

The Pomodoro Technique: The Acclaimed Time-Management System That Has Transformed How We Work

I first heard about the Pomodoro Technique several years ago in an article on productivity. Over the years, I’ve seen it mentioned several times in that same context. More recently though, I was reminded about it in Learning How to Learn. In the book, the authors use the technique as a way for learners to focus for 25 minutes at a time.

I bought The Pomodoro Technique by Francesco Cirillo to see for myself if there was more to Technique than what was in the articles and books. I figured that since Francesco Cirillo developed the time management system while in university, he may have a lot more to say.

And he does have a lot more to say. Reading The Pomodoro Technique gave me a deeper understanding of how the technique works. I could see how to use it when learning the key skills needed for future jobs, in the least amount of time. After reading the book, I believe that not everyone will benefit from reading it. In the articles that describe the technique, the information presented may be enough.

Five Big Ideas from The Pomodoro Technique

1. The goal of the Pomodoro Technique is to increase productivity. You use time as a resource to complete activities that are important to you. Time is used in a positive way that makes you feel like you’re in control. When you’re doing a Pomodoro, the passing of time symbolizes that you’re making progress and accomplishing something worthwhile.
2. Each day, you create your To-Do List. Cirillo calls it your To Do Today Sheet. Have a section on the sheet where you can add unplanned and urgent tasks. Have a column where you record how many Pomodoros it takes to complete a task. On your To-Do list, prioritize from most important to least important.
3. If an activity will take more than five to seven Pomodoros, break it down into smaller activities.
4. After you’ve completed four Pomodoros, take a 15 to 30-minute break. Your brain needs time to refresh and even make connections.
5. To master the Pomodoro Technique takes between seven and 20 days of constant application.

Book Pairing

The Pomodoro TechniqueThe 80/20 Principle

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Francesco Cirillo created the Pomodoro Technique because he wanted to do more in less time while in university. Whether you’re a 30-something professional or a 50-something woman business owner, professionals are always seeking ways to get more done in less time. The Technique also helps you to become aware of how your mind works. And it helps you to deal with interruptions and procrastination.

In Learning How to Learn, here is how the authors explain how to use the technique.

Pomodoro Technique in a Nutshell

• Shut off all distractions. That means turning off your phone, TV and computer.
• Set the timer for 25 minutes. (I downloaded a paid Pomodoro app to my phone)
• Focus on a task for 25 minutes.
• Give yourself a reward for five to 10 minutes. Get into diffuse mode. This means that during break time, do something that’s mindless.
• If the task takes more than 25 minutes , don’t sweat it, you could always do another Pomodoro.

The above instructions are very simple and nearly anyone can follow them. I’ve followed the above instructions with a lot of success. But you don’t know what you don’t know. I’ve always wanted to get a sense of how many Pomodoros to do in one day. I wanted examples of situations that are appropriate and not appropriate for using Pomodoro. After I read The Pomodoro Technique by Francesco Cirillo, I discovered additional information I want to add to the previous instructions.

Summary: The Pomodoro Technique by Francesco Cirillo

The goal of the Pomodoro Technique is to increase productivity. You use time as a resource to complete activities that are important to you. Time is used in a positive way that makes you feel like you’re in control. When you’re doing a Pomodoro, the passing of time symbolizes that you’re making progress and accomplishing something worthwhile. To get the process started, you need a timer. Cirillo recommends that you use a kitchen timer. I use a paid Pomodoro app that I purchased in the Google Play Store. The app makes a clicking sound, so I know that time is passing by.

Each day, you create your To-Do List. Cirillo calls it your To Do Today Sheet. Have a section on the sheet where you can add unplanned and urgent tasks. Have a column where you record how many Pomodoros it takes to complete a task. On your To-Do list, prioritize from most important to least important. Set the timer to work on the first task on your list. Remember that a Pomodoro is only 25 minutes long. Start working on your first task. When the timer goes off, take a three to five-minute break. Give your mind a rest and do an activity that’s different from the one you are working on.

While working on your Pomodoro, if  something comes to mind that interrupts what you’re doing, quickly write down what you need to do and label it to show that it’s unplanned and/or urgent. In the column where you’ll record how many Pomodoros it takes to complete the task, as interruptions occur, use an apostrophe to denote it. This process of recording the interruptions should take only a few seconds. Continue with the Pomodoro until the 25 minutes are up.

Your first activity on your To-Do list may take more than one Pomodoro to complete. When your break ends, start another Pomodoro to continue working on it.

When you complete the first activity on your To-Do list, cross it out, but record how many Pomodoros it takes to complete the activity. This is good data for you to review. It helps you to check your productivity and you may find out that you need to work towards completing the activity in less time.

If an activity will take more than five to seven Pomodoros, break it down into smaller activities. For instance, if you’re interested in learning how to make your business profitable and someone recommends that you read Profit First, do not write read Profit First on your To-Do list. The book will take you more than three hours to read. Instead, do the following to break down your reading activity:

• Preview Profit First.
• Read, the Following.
  • Foreword.
  • Preface.
  • Introduction.
  • Table of Contents.
  • Make a Note of Chapters you Must Read.
• Chapter One.
• Chapter Two.

And if Chapter Two takes you less that 25 minutes to read, use the extra time on memory recall – going over what you just read. On the other hand, if some activities will take less than 25 minutes to complete, try chunking related activities together.

After you’ve completed four Pomodoros, take a 15 to 30-minute break. Your brain needs time to refresh and even make connections. This is good information for me because I have a tendency to work on an activity for hours at a time without taking a break. This tendency adds stress to your life and tires you.

As you can see, the instructions for doing a Pomodoro in The Pomodoro Technique by Francesco Cirillo is more involved than in articles and other books. In the book, Cirillo also provides instructions on how to use the Technique when you’re part of a team.

One situation where you shouldn’t do a Pomodoro is for activities that you do in your free time. Cirillo says that if you’re reading for pleasure, you shouldn’t do a Pomodoro. To master the Pomodoro Technique takes between seven and 20 days of constant application.

Pomodoro Technique as Explained in The Pomodoro Technique by Francesco Cirillo

“To Implement the Pomodoro Technique, you need the following:

• A Pomodoro: a kitchen timer.
• To Do Today Sheet filled in at the start of each day with the following:
  • Heading with place, date, and author.
  • List of things to do during the day, prioritizing them.
  • Sectioned labeled “Unplanned & Urgent Activities” where you’ll add unexpected tasks you have to take care of. This may modify your plan for the day.
• Activity Inventory Sheet consisting of the following:
  • Heading with the name of the author.
  • Number of lines in which activities are written down. Check off the completed ones at the end of the day.
• Records Sheet. Set of raw data needed to produce reports and graphics.”

Final Thoughts on The Pomodoro Technique by Francesco Cirillo

The core idea in The Pomodoro Technique by Francesco Cirillo is that you focus on an activity for 25 minutes at a time, using a timer to keep track. After you finish a Pomodoro, take a three to five-minute break. In what situations can you apply the Pomodoro Technique?

What to do after Reading This Review

1. If you believe that the additional information in The Pomodoro Technique by Francesco Cirillo will help you to save time, then buy the book and read it.
2. Identify ways in which the Technique will help you at work.
3. Share this book review.

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