I have a dirty little secret. I have an on-again off-again love affair with the Pomodoro technique. Though I deal with a wicked case of ADD, I seem to keep it in check, thanks in part to my Personal Kanban. The other method I use, though I admit not as commonly, is a pomodoro timer. When things get really bad, I break out the timer. And ya know, things get back on track! You'd think I would learn.
If you find yourself reading this blog, you'll find that I'm a proponent of using simple techniques to get things done. If you're looking for me to do a deep dive on policy, process, and procedure, you're in the wrong place.
So, how do I get some of my work done? [1] I limit my work in progress (WIP) and [2] I limit my time (timebox). When I do both, I tend to stay focused and deliver more. The pomodoro technique, like other techniques I like, is pretty darned simple.
So, let's talk about my Piggy Pomodoro!
- Choose a task to be accomplished
- Set the Pomodoro to 25 minutes (the Pomodoro is the timer)
- Work on the task until the Pomodoro rings, annotate the task you were working on
- Take a short break (I take 5 minutes)
- Every 4 Pomodoros take a longer break (I take 10 minutes)
As part of this process, I'm moving tasks on my Kanban from Backlog to Work in Progress. If I take a break, I move it to Blocked. When I return, I move it back to Work in Progress. This allows me to visualize what I'm working on and know what I was working on before my break.
Have a Kanban or Pomodoro story? I would love to hear it.
Why do I use a Piggy, you ask? Because tomatoes give me gas and Chickens would just be wrong.
Image: Amazon