Have I lost my focus?  Did I ever really have it?

As 2012 storms along, I am aware that there are still things on my task list that I was thinking about doing at the beginning of the year.  Small tasks, ones that will take around – or less than – an hour are starting to weigh me down.  It’s not right to feel so disorganised or behind in the year especially when it is only the end of March.

So I am putting my foot down.  My foot down and my headphones on.
There is a method of focussing, of concentrating that I have used a few times in the past that I am going to put in to action today.  For the whole day.

(FYI: even while writing this quick blog, my attention has waned and I found myself reading the daily deal emails that I normally just delete.  Focus Tara – focus!)

The Pomodoro Technique.

Simply put, the Pomodoro Technique sets you up for maximum focus – supposedly with less mental fatigue.
Developed in the 1980’s by Francesco Cirillo, Pomodoro’s is the Italian word for tomatoes.

You section your day out in to 25 minute chunks and take breaks of varying lengths after each of those 25 minute lots.

For example:
Decide on the task
Set your timer for 25 minutes (a ‘pomodoro’)
Work on the task til the timer finishes and then mark with an X
Take a 5 minute break
Every 4  pomodoros take a longer break (around 15-20 minutes)

A task list is vital and so is having a list of things that you want to complete that day.  The creators recommend a paper and pencil approach to this.  Those of you who know me reasonably well can probably feel the happiness exploding forth now – I freaking love lists!!
Satisfaction comes from marking off those items on the task list.  Another key is marking those times where you feel yourself drawn to another task or the need to procrastinate.  Each of your pomodoros is a hard set limit.  If you are disturbed, the other activity can be recorded and or postponed or you abandon that particular pomodoro and start again.

Reading a little more about the Technique tells me that some people start to see a change in their habits after 2 days.  For some it takes a little longer.  Between 7 and 20 days is pretty standard.
Sure there are some that don’t like it.  But I kinda like structure – and lists!

I shall now take 25 minutes to compile my task list and my list for the day.