Get more done in less time – the ultimate dream – right?

Time has become a big issue these days. Usually we feel like we have too little of it. There are simply too many things to be packed into a day and the ‘lack of time’ leads us to feeling stressed and overwhelmed.

Then, sometimes, when we have not jam-packed a day full of activities and have to’s, this can lead us to feeling nervous and bored. Thoughts like ‘Should I not use this time efficiently?’ and ‘Am I wasting time now?’ can pop into our heads. This instead of enjoying that time of just being and having the freedom to choose what to do in the spur of the moment.

Clearly, we could do with an overhaul of how we think about time.

One really quick, easy and very efficient way of getting more done in less time and therefore having more free time to do the things that we really love doing, is to start doing the Pomodoro Technique. I hadn’t heard about it until recently, even though it has been around since the late 1980’s, developed by a guy called Francesco Cirillo. It has changed the way I work and I am super-efficient, focused and simple amazed at how much I get done in less time. So clearly I want to tell as many people about it as possible.

The idea is that you focus completely on a pre-decided task for 25 minutes. This means no interruptions, no phone calls, no checking of Facebook and so on.

After 25 minutes you take a short break of 5 minutes. Do something completely different. Moving around is a good idea, but you use that time any way you please.

Then you set the timer to 25 minutes again and focus fully on what you are doing. Followed by another short break.

Again you set the timer on 25 minutes and really get into the task that you are doing without any interruptions. After this you take a longer break from the task. I usually aim for 30 minutes.

You can do the Pomodoro three to four times in a row and then have a longer break.

It is fantastic how much you can achieve in 25 minutes if you focus fully on just one thing. In this day and age of social media and the thought that we need to be multitasking all the time, it really is refreshing to switch everything else off.

I think that our brains, body and soul are grateful for this time to simply focus. That is what it feels like for me. Not to mention the satisfaction of getting things done, instead of them lingering around day after day.

So if you have not tried it – give it a go.

There is a tomato timer online that you can set – you can find it here: http://tomato-timer.com/#

And of course there is a webpage, book and so much more for the Pomodoro Technique. If you are interested in finding out more, head here: http://pomodorotechnique.com/