Time Management With The Pomodoro Technique

The following is a guest post by Niklas Blixt from Sweden.

Maximizing Productivity

I think most of you want to want to be as productive as possible. Not only do you want to make good music, you want to make a lot of it! Isn’t that true? I know that I want to! But sometimes it can be a bit tricky to find the time, especially if you’re not working full time with music. For example, I am a freelance drummer and I study music production. I need to find time to practice and study both.

To get things done you have to start using your time more wisely, eliminate procrastination and rid your time with distractions. I have found a tried and true way to maximize my productivity:  Meet “The Pomodoro Technique.”

What’s The Pomodoro Technique?

The technique is actually very simple. All you need is a timer or stopwatch. (e.g. a kitchen timer will do)

Here’s how it works: You decide a task you want to work on, set the timer to 25 minutes and get to it.

The key is to focus on the one thing you’ve decided to work on and try to get as much done before the timer goes off. You don’t really have to finish the task you’re working on, but when the timer goes off after 25 minutes, you stop doing what you’re doing and take a break for 5 minutes. The important thing here is to take an actual break.

If your working on a new mix, for example,  hit SAVE and walk away. Set the timer again to 5 minutes, grab a cup of coffee, talk a walk or read the paper. The important thing is to do something less “focus demanding” for 5 minutes.

After the break, set the timer again to 25 minutes and continue where you left of. When you’ve done four sets of 25 minutes in a row, with a 5 minute break in between, instead of taking a 5 minute break take a 15 minute break and so on.

Focus on What’s Important

While practicing this technique, I am finding myself getting MORE done in less time. Additionally, I’ve found that using this technique while practicing drums, I’ve gotten a lot better quicker than before. And how is this possible? The answer is focus.

By working in sets of 25 minutes you’ll start focusing in what’s important to get things done. While working on a mix, it’s easy to try out every plug-in on a track and before you know it you’ve spent 3 hours searching for an EQ for that vocal-track without really moving forward with the mix.

The point is to set short-terms goals, prioritize your tasks at hand and just get it done.

Avoid the Pitfalls

There is a few things to keep in mind to be successful with this technique. First, try to keep the 25 minute periods as uninterrupted as possible. Have a notepad beside you to write down things that come to mind that have nothing to do with what you’re working on for the moment. Just quickly write it down and then continue with what you were doing. Turn your phone on silent and ABSOLUTELY NO TWITTER, FACEBOOK AND E-MAIL CHECKING. You can check in on that during your breaks.

The second thing is to really take a break after 25 minutes. This can be a bit tricky at the beginning. But once you get the hang of it it’s amazing what a major difference it makes to really concentrate on one specific task for 25 minutes and then take a rest. And there is something magical about setting a deadline. It makes you concentrate and work a little more streamlined to achieve the goal you’ve set up.

The Bottom Line

I think we all want to be more productive when we work on things and we can all be more effective, we just have to learn how. And for me “The Pomodoro Technique” really works. Give it a try, you have nothing to lose!

For more in depth information visit: www.pomodorotechnique.com.

Love from Sweden,

Niklas J. Blixt – www.niklasjblixt.com

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