Pump Up Your Productivity with the Pomodoro Writing Technique-EP010

Laura returns with another solo podcast to share the strategy she uses to make the most of her writing time, the Pomodoro Technique. This approach wires your brain to focus on a single, specific writing task for a short burst of 25 minutes before allowing yourself a five minute break. While she initially resisted implementing this approach, Laura came to realize that she was less effective when multitasking and did benefit from working on a given task, free from distractions.   

Listen in to learn how the Pomodoro Technique helped Laura triple her business revenue, take on more clients and have time for herself and other projects! Then implement this valuable brain hack to increase your own productivity without sacrificing the quality of your work.

Key Takeaways

Guidelines of the Pomodoro Technique

• Work in 25 minute bursts followed by a five minute break (or make use of a 50/10 minute cycle)
• Eliminate all other distractions

 

Laura’s advice for dealing with stray thoughts that don’t apply to the task at hand

• Keep a sheet of paper nearby to catalog ideas/to-do items that come to mind while you are working – to be dealt with later

 

Consider utilizing tools to help you focus

• Laura recommends focus@will’s scientifically optimized music (and its built-in timer)
• Applications like inbox pause for Gmail help to eliminate distractions

 

Laura’s tips for making breaks purposeful

• Leave your work space
• Do something physical, i.e.: walk on the treadmill, load the dishwasher

 

More time in front of the computer doesn’t necessarily result in increased productivity

• Laura argues that you can accomplish more in a highly focused three hour period than you might in a distracted or fatigued ten hour block

 

Determine the time of day when you are most effective and focused to double or even triple your productivity

• Laura works through three to four Pomodoro cycles when she’s at her best, between 5:00am and 10:00am

 

Laura’s Pomodoro challenge

• Practice the Pomodoro Technique at least once a day for one week
• Amplify the benefits by incorporating music and a timer to signal your brain that it’s time to work
• Reflect on how much you are able to accomplish and the quality of your work

  

Resources

Laura’s Full List of Courses 

Focus@Will

Gmail Inbox Pause

Boomerang for Gmail

Ed Gandia’s Focus@Will Podcast 

 

Connect with Laura Pennington

Blog http://sixfigurewritingsecrets.com/blog/

Twitter https://twitter.com/sixfigurewriter

Website http://sixfigurewritingsecrets.com/