The Pomodoro Technique, also known as the Tomato Technique, is a time management strategy that suggests you divide your work time into 25-minute blocks, with breaks in between.
at suggests you divide your work time into 25-minute blocks, with breaks in between.
The Tomato Technique is based on the idea that most people start to lose focus after 25 minutes of continuous work and will need to reset their focus to stay productive. However, this technique falls short when tasks are not identical and people do not think the same way. However, this doesn’t mean that it is a one-size-fits-all strategy.
There is an alternative technique that provides more flexibility to suit the work cases you choose. It is called "The Flowtime Technique." In this article, we'll go over everything you need to know to use this technique and start getting more work done.
What is the Flowtime Technique?
Although this technique is not as well known as the Pomodoro Technique, it has been around for a while in many ways. It can be said that the Flowtime Technique has been directly derived from the Pomodoro Technique. It was created by Zoe Read-Bivens as a way to address some of the lapses she encountered while using the Pomodoro Technique.
Read-Bivens found that working continuously for 25 minutes often interrupted her mental flow and ended up damaging her productivity rather than improving it. To solve this problem, Read-Bivens sought to create a strategy that preserves the beneficial aspects of the Pomodoro Technique while allowing her to enter a state of positive mental flow and continue to work.
The Basics of Flowtime Technique
To get started with the Flowtime Technique, the first thing you need to do is set a schedule that will help you manage your daily activities. You can do this by using Google spreadsheets or writing it down on paper. In your schedule, include the following columns:
- Task name.
- Task start time.
- Task end time.
- Cut-outs.
- Work time.
- Break time.
Your schedule will be your primary way to keep track of your daily tasks and create a mind flow that works best for you. Here are some tips on how to use it:
1. Choose a task
To get started, choose the task you want to accomplish. The task must be specific, and you must be able to reasonably complete it within the time available. In other words, don't choose a task that takes a long time to complete, like "painting the whole house." Instead, choose something easy that doesn't require much time, like "painting the front door."
If you set a big task that takes a very long time, you will find it difficult to commit to work until you finish the task. So, try to divide the task you're working on into simpler parts that you can control.
2. Start working on your task
The next step is to start working on your task. Start by listing the task that you will be working on in the appropriate field in your schedule. After that, set the start time for this task. Once you start working, the only rule that you must consider is to avoid multitasking, because committing to working on one task will help you focus on getting it done and reduce any distractions imposed on you.
3. Keep working until you feel the need to take a break
You can then continue working on your listed task for as long as you want. If you get tired after 15 minutes of working on it, you should take a break. You might enter into a state of productive work without noticing the passage of time and end up working for an entire hour without stopping, which is okay.
The idea of the Flowtime Technique is to recognize your time patterns and work when it is best for you. Shorten the time you spend on certain tasks if you are having trouble focusing. If you can concentrate on completing other kinds of tasks, keep working as long as you can to maximize your productivity.
You might find that the longest you can tolerate is about 90 minutes. This depends on your supra-circadian rhythm, the alternating periods of alertness and rest that our brains experience throughout the day.
There are plenty of case studies showing how taking regular breaks improves productivity. This is one of the reasons why mandatory breaks are essential in the Pomodoro Technique. However, there is evidence that the Flowtime approach, which doesn't require taking regular breaks, also works. A tech company recently instructed its employees to take hourly breaks whenever they saw fit. As a result, productivity increased by 23% without the need for delegation.
4. Set aside some time for a break
When you decide you need to take a break, do so, but make sure you write the task’s off-time in your schedule in the right place. You can take a long or a brief—as you like—break, but don't abuse this privilege, or you will start spending most of your time taking breaks.
As a general rule, try to take a 5-minute break every 25-minute work period, and increase the break time for longer work periods. You should use a timer to make sure you get back to your task on time. When the break is over, don't forget to record the time you resumed work and the break duration.
5. Record the sources and moments of distraction once they occur
During your work period, there will always be times when you get distracted. The distraction could be a phone call, an emergency email, or even using the bathroom. When these things happen, record them in the cut-outs column of your schedule. Do your best to keep the distractions short, but don't try to avoid them because you are unlikely to succeed.
Sometimes the things that distract you will have a higher priority than the task you're working on. Therefore, it is important to deal with distractions as you see fit rather than trying to ignore them easily.
6. Repeat the previous steps until you have completed your work
After that, all you have to do is repeat the previous steps until the tasks you are working on are completed. When you complete each task, make sure that you record the time you finish your work fully. You can also calculate and record the total working time when you finish a task, if you want, or at the end of the day.
All that matters is that you leave no gaps in your time tracking. Once your schedules are complete, the Flowtime Technique will become one of the essentials that improves your ability to create a work schedule that increases your daily productivity.
What do you do with your schedule?
Although recording work periods and break times in your work schedule will help you stay on task each day, there is another important reason to do so. Your schedule will gradually teach you how to set an ideal daily schedule for yourself.
So, take some time to compare your schedules every weekend. You might notice that some work patterns begin to emerge. For example, you might notice that long work periods are usually before lunch or that there are certain times during your day that tend to be full of distractions. You can use this information to plan for the following days more effectively.
In general, you'll want to combine the most important tasks and get them done at the most productive time. So, if you're going through the logs of all your daily commitments in detail, you can make time for the important tasks when you know you'll be able to focus on work without interruption.
On the contrary, you should schedule a less important task for the times when you are most likely to be interrupted. So, if you need time to answer emails or phone calls, you'll know exactly when to do it. Not only will this make you more productive, it will also diminish mistakes in your work.
The main similarities between the Flowtime Technique and the Pomodoro (Tomato) Technique
If you are familiar with how the Pomodoro Technique works, you might have noticed some similarities to the Flowtime Technique. As we discussed previously, this similarity is not purely coincidental because the Flowtime Technique was specifically designed to retain three key features of the Pomodoro Technique, namely:
1. Accurate time tracking
One of the reasons the Pomodoro Technique is so effective for so many people is that it gives you a consistent system to make it easier to keep track of time. By having to divide your work tasks into 25-minute blocks, you become fully aware of the tasks in front of you and how you should use your time to accomplish them. This alone will help you avoid wasting your precious work time because you have to count every minute. Flowtime Technique provides this feature as well.
2. Getting rid of multitasking
When you use the Pomodoro Technique, you should choose one task to work on and use a 25-minute timer to measure each work period. This timer is effective because it keeps you focused on accomplishing one task. You know the task you're trying to accomplish from the moment you set the timer, so you're not likely to start performing another task.
Although you don't need to use a timer with Flowtime Technique, writing down your task does the same thing. As you know in advance that you will keep track of the time you spend working on something specific, you will tend to stick to your task until it is complete or until it is time to take a break.
3. Facilitating breaks
Fatigue is one of the biggest destroyers of productivity, and there is a lot of information that proves that taking breaks is essential to maintaining peak work performance. This is the real secret to the success of the Pomodoro Technique, as it makes breaks mandatory and unavoidable.
By comparison, Flowtime Technique also insists that you take breaks, but only when you are ready for them. Therefore, achieving success using Flowtime Technique requires some extra self-discipline while performing the task. However, if you can follow instructions from a timer, nothing will stop you from responding to signals that your body sends to you when it needs to take a break.
Final thoughts
In the end, you might find that success lies in using the Pomodoro Technique. After all, there is a good reason why this technique is so popular, but if you have been using it for some time and find yourself exhausted by its rigor, you are not alone. Therefore, consider trying the Flowtime Technique for at least a week or two. You might find that it suits your work style better and that you can get more work done than before.
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