Procrastination is one of the greatest enemies writers have. Often, it stems from overwhelm.
Imagine this situation: You come up with a great new idea and are excited to turn it into a story. Once you start planning it out, you realize it’s kind of big. Maybe too big. Sitting down to write it feels intimidating and you don’t know where to start. So, you push off starting and keep adding more notes to your outlines, telling yourself that you’re just not done planning yet. After a while, you find you haven’t actually written anything about your big idea.
Does this sound familiar? Don’t worry – there is a way to break the pattern.
The Pomodoro Method
In the 1980s, a university student by the name of Francesco Cirillo was getting too distracted during the time he was supposed to be studying. To get around this, he developed a time-management technique using his kitchen timer (which happened to be shaped like a tomato).
What resulted was the Pomodoro Method – pomodoro meaning tomato in Italian – which divides tasks into manageable steps before tackling them between bursts of focused work and breaks. The result is a process that promotes productivity while limiting burnout. The simplicity and effectiveness behind it have made the Pomodoro method a favorite for students, professionals, and especially writers.
Short and simple steps
- Choose a task
- Set a timer for 25 minutes
- Work on your task until the timer runs out
- Take a 5 minute break
- Repeat
Within the method, a pomodoro is a set unit of time used for work. For Cirillo’s technique, this is 25 minutes, but a pomodoro can be any amount of time (15, 30, etc.) as long as you are solely focused on work during that period.
After every four pomodori (pomodoro plural), take an extended break for 15-30 minutes to refresh yourself. This balance between work and rest prioritizes a steady stream of concentration throughout the day.
Things to keep in mind
If a task takes less time than one pomodoro, you should combine it with other small tasks. For example, you can lump tasks like email beta readers, review comments, and outline short story into one focused session of work.
In contrast, if a task takes longer than four pomodori, it needs to be divided into smaller steps to allow for a clear sense of progression. If your task is write Chapter 3, look for ways you can separate that into other tasks or break the chapter into chunks.
Once you set the timer, you can’t break your focus (unless there is an emergency, of course). Stopping to check emails, texts, decide what’s for dinner, or water your plants will derail your productivity. You’ll spend valuable minutes getting back into the flow afterwards. Instead of doing those things, make a note down to take care of them later. It may be difficult at first to keep this up, but try to be honest with yourself and stick to the timer, even if it means staring at your screen. Your brain needs to be trained to focus before it can begin to be consistently productive. If an emergency or something else does come up, take your five minute break when you come back and start over.
If you happen to finish your task before the timer, use the extra time to either extend the task you completed (ex: if you finished the first scene in Chapter 3, move on to the second scene) or start the next task on your to-do list.
An efficient writing tool
The Pomodoro Method is ideal for tackling tasks like brainstorming, drafting, editing, or researching within focused intervals. It offers an easy way to start writing by dividing big ideas into small steps. These act as progress points that keep you from feeling overwhelmed and boost your motivation.
One of the biggest advantages of the Pomodoro Method for writers is its ability to improve focus and minimize distractions, many of which are self-imposed. Those moments where you think, “I should just check on this quickly,” add up over time, leading to a lack of productivity and negative feelings. Instead, you can reserve those distracting tasks for your breaks, which nurtures a sense of accountability when it comes to remaining focused during each pomodoro.
Another big plus is how pomodori prevent burnout. Frequent short breaks keep energy levels high and disrupt the slow descent into mental fatigue that occurs from sitting at a task for hours at a time.
Lastly, this method helps you gain a new understanding for the flow of time. Let’s face it: we’re all pretty bad at estimating how long a task will take us, especially when we’re writing. But breaking up our work into small chunks of time, we have a unit of measurement that can help us block out a task effectively.
Additional tips
To make the most of the Pomodoro Method, you should start by creating a to-do list before starting a writing session. Having a clear plan means that once you finish one task, you know exactly what to do next. This stops you from wasting time deciding and possibly opening yourself up to distractions.
If 25-minute intervals don’t work for you, don’t feel the need to stick to that. The purpose of time management techniques are to find something that works for you. Adapt the method to whatever suits your workflow. If that means 45-minute sessions with 10-minute breaks, then that’s good! There is no wrong way to do this. The goal is to maintain focus and productivity in a way that suits your creative process.
Straightforward workflow
That’s all there is to it. The Pomodoro Method is simple, but a powerful tool to improve your productivity and put an end to mental fatigue. Remember to break your tasks down to make them more approachable and limit distractions during your focus sessions. Refresh your mind during breaks by taking a walk, drinking water, or talking to loved ones. Then, get right back at it. Whether you’re working on a book or managing a daily writing schedule, pomodori can be adapted to fit your needs.