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Tag: pomodoro technique

  • 13 Productivity Apps to Help Keep Your Writing Goals on Track

    13 Productivity Apps to Help Keep Your Writing Goals on Track

    Do you struggle to maintain focus during your writing time?

    Procrastination and lack of focus were constant frenemies on my own journey to becoming a writer. For years, these ever-present saboteurs prevented me from completing both my fiction work and getting my freelance career started.

    Facing your distractions is unavoidable: You have to admit you have a problem and take steps to do something about it, without getting sidetracked by the magpie shrieking at a squirrel outside.

    Fortunately, you don’t have to win this battle on willpower alone.

    Fear not, intrepid writer. Here are a few tools to help you get your head out of the clouds.

    Start writing

    If you’re prone to distraction, you may not realize that focus is something that can be built through practice.

    Coach.Me is a multi-platform app that uses community encouragement and digital coaching to help you build new habits. It stands out from similar apps with its dedicated tracks for writers. These specialized journeys not only hold you accountable to write every day; they also provide encouragement from other writers building a habit just like you.

    To maximize motivation, when you check in each day, you can record your word count in the “Add a note” section. Even writing one paragraph a day is enough to help kickstart a habit.

    Stay focused

    We’ve discussed the Pomodoro Technique previously on The Write Life. As a chronic procrastinator, I cannot stop gushing about how brilliant it is.

    The premise is simple: Instead of trying to complete your work in a long, overwhelming sprint, you break projects down into manageable, 25-minute chunks called Pomodoros. The goal is to stay on one task for the entirety of each Pomodoro until the job is done. Every 25 minutes, take a five minute break to clear your head. Every two hours, take a 15-minute break.

    There are countless Pomodoro timers available. One excellent option is Pomodroido on Android (for Apple users, try Pomodoro Keeper). It’s simple, customizable, and allows you to record your given task for each Pomodoro.

    On my laptop, I use Tomighty for its convenient taskbar functionality, and when working away from my own devices, I switch to Tomato Timer, which is entirely web based.

    No matter your setup, there’s a Pomodoro timer for you!

    Block distractions

    Writing often feels like creating something out of nothing. It can be easy to just click over to Facebook and never return. Enter distraction blockers.

    For Android, FocusON is a true example of the nuclear option for blocking access to apps and websites. It’s hard — I mean really hard — to shut it off once you’ve enabled a block for a certain period of time.

    For Chrome, TimeWarp is a customizable option. It requires some discipline, but the option to divert to a different website or an inspirational quote might be all the motivation you need.

    Other popular distraction-blockers include Self Control (Mac), StayFocused (Chrome), and FocusLock (Android).

    Get organized

    Trello has quickly become my favorite writing tool that most writers have never heard of.

    It’s a web-based productivity app with a premise very similar to the old school method of using index cards on a cork board. For a writer, the possibilities are endless. You can use a Trello board to make to do lists, prioritize submissions, even to track research.

    My favorite use for Trello is as a scene organizer for fiction projects. Make a board to represent your novel, then make lists on that board to represent each chapter. Finally, make cards for individual scenes or story events. It’s very easy to move scenes around.

    Being organized can take a huge amount of stress off and allow you to focus on your content.

    Hack your brain

    Ambient sound has a powerful effect on creativity. Relax Melodies is a top-notch noise generation app. You can use it to customize an entire soundscape of nature sounds, soothing music, and other effects — there’s even one for the clicks of a keyboard. The clincher, however, is its excellent binaural beats and isochronic tones. Listening to these auditory illusions hacks your brain into concentrating or relaxing.

    If you’re looking for a bit more variety, MyNoise.net has an extensive library of brain-hacking soundscapes, including several particularly creepy arrangements great for writing fantasy or suspense. I’m a fan of this one.

    Interested in more productivity aids? Check out seven more productivity tools for writers.

    What are your favorite focus-building tools?

  • How to Use the Pomodoro Technique as a Freelance Writer

    How to Use the Pomodoro Technique as a Freelance Writer

    Have you ever reached the end of your workday, only to feel you didn’t have much to show for it?

    Or do you sometimes find you have a hard time staying focused on your work? Does it seem like you work a lot, but you’re often spinning your wheels, instead of completing your most important tasks?

    I’ve felt the same way. Since I recently took my freelance writing business full-time, I’ve had to figure out a better way to manage my work hours.

    One strategy that’s made a huge difference in my workflow is the Pomodoro Technique. Breaking my work into manageable chunks using this method helps me accomplish more in a day than I thought possible, while keeping me focused and preventing burnout.

    Here’s how I use the Pomodoro Technique to improve my writing productivity — and how you can, too.

    What is the Pomodoro Technique?

    This time-management method was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s.

    The idea behind the technique is people can only stay hyper-focused on a task or subject for a finite period of time — generally about 90 minutes. Instead of trying to sit at your desk from 9 to 5 (or whatever hours you currently keep), it makes more sense to break up your day into sections. The technique calls these chunks of time “pomodori,” and each one is known as a “pomodoro.”

    Each pomodoro includes 25 minutes of focused time, followed by a five-minute break. Most sources suggest linking three or four pomodori together (with those five-minute breaks in between sessions), and then taking a longer break of 20 to 30 minutes. Lather, rinse and repeat.

    Set your timer using your phone, a stopwatch or a regular clock, or download one of several dedicated Pomodoro Technique apps and timers. I’ve used and like this free timer, though I’ve had to mute its annoying ticking sound.

    How to get started with Pomodoro

    Before launching into your first pomodoro, list your tasks for the day, with the most important ones at the top. Select your two or three most important tasks (MITs): the ones whose completion would make your day a success, regardless of what else you accomplished.

    I always make sure I spend my morning hours (or pomodori) writing, whether I’m working on client work or my own blog posts. I try to leave email and social media work until later in the day, as challenging as that can sometimes be.

    Here’s a sample schedule for an eight-hour workday, with 12 defined tasks (or pomodori) and a lunch break. Remember, each pomodoro includes 25 minutes of work time and a five-minute break.

    9:00-9:30 Write article

    9:30-10:00 Write article

    10:00-10:30 Write article

    10:30-11:00 Long break

    11:00-11:30 Check email

    11:30-12:00 Blog outreach

    12:00-12:30 Search job boards and pitch new clients

    12:30-1:30 Long break for lunch

    1:30-2:00 Social media promotion

    2:00-2:30 Write article or brainstorm new post ideas

    2:30-3:00 Write article or brainstorm new post ideas

    3:00-3:30 Long break

    3:30-4:00 Check email

    4:00-4:30 Coursework or nonfiction reading

    4:30-5:00 Social media promotion

    Document your accomplishments

    This isn’t an essential part of using this method, but it’s a great way to see how your efficiency and hard work are paying off.

    If you’re using an app or web-based timer, you may be able to track your tasks within its interface. For example, freelancer and entrepreneur Brennan Dunn loves that his app of choice encourages him to write down what he did during each pomodoro.

    Tracking could also be as simple as making a check mark next to each pomodoro on your schedule, or writing a few quick notes in a Word or Google Doc. Either way, looking back on your day and seeing what you achieved can help keep you motivated and productive.

    What to do with your five-minute breaks

    Since many of us spend too much time in front of our computers and not enough time being active, use these five minute breaks to get up, move around and stretch your body. They’re a great time to take a bathroom break, get a cup of water, coffee or tea, or make a quick snack.

    Since I have two toddlers and find it hard to fit exercise into my day, I use many of my five-minute breaks to do this no-equipment-necessary workout. I’ve found exercise helps me recharge before starting my next pomodoro, but you might also want to try meditating, journaling or having a quick conversation with a friend.

    Avoid checking email or social media during your five-minute breaks. Both tasks can become black holes, and it’s easy to slip into a “just five more minutes” mentality when you’re facing an overflowing inbox.

    However, checking your email or Twitter feed means you’re not necessarily taking a break from work (or your computer screen). Instead, use the five minutes to walk away from your work and do something that helps you recharge.

    Shoot for progress, not perfection

    Using the Pomodoro Technique to manage the structure of your day can help you cross more tasks off your list.

    Aim be more productive overall, rather than trying to be perfect. Ending a pomodoro a few minutes early or working a couple of minutes past your timer isn’t the end of the world. Neither is finding that you can only complete one or two pomodoros in a day before having to switch to another strategy to complete your tasks.

    If you’ve found yourself at the end of your day with little to show for it, why not give this method a try?

    Have you tried the Pomodoro Technique? How did it work for you?