How to Stop Procrastinating: a simple Guide to Mastering Difficult Tasks and Breaking the Procrastination Habit

Practice #9: Use Sprints to Work On Challenging
Projects
Smart workers overcome their procrastination tendencies by condensing
their efforts into short “sprints” and tracking them with a timer. The idea
here is to work for a short period of time and then give yourself frequent
breaks. The benefit of these sprints is that it’s easy to push yourself to get
started when you know there is a clear stopping and starting point. Once
you complete a sprint, you can take a quick break and then start a second
sprint.
The strategy that I recommend for completing these sprints is a system
called
the Pomodoro Technique
. The Pomodoro Technique is a popular
time-blocking system, created in the 1980s by Francesco Cirillo, that has
been embraced by entrepreneurs and work-efficiency experts.
Cirillo recognized that humans can focus for only a limited amount of
time before becoming distracted. He found that it’s better to create a
system where people focus for a condensed period and then proactively
take a break before beginning the next sprint.
He named his technique after a popular kitchen timer that looks like a
tomato (hence the name pomodoro, which is Italian for tomato). The
timer was used like any old kitchen timer, but Cirillo experimented with
time blocking until he discovered the most effective usage of time blocks
(for efficiency in work production).
When using the Pomodoro Technique, you:
choose a task (e.g., writing);
set a timer for 25 minutes;
work for 25 minutes without succumbing to any distractions;
take a 5-minute break by getting up and walking around;
go back to work for another 25 minutes; and
after every four time-blocks, take a 15- to 30-minute break.
You might assume that this technique is not as effective as working

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without breaks. But think back to those times when you tried to do a task
for an extended period of time. In all likelihood, you were energized at
first, then you reached a point when your concentration dropped off.
Finally, you probably felt the urge to do anything besides your current
task.
The Pomodoro Technique prevents these distractions because it keeps
your mind fresh and focused. With the scheduled breaks, you have an
opportunity to take a few minutes off to relax. Even though you’re
working for less time, the quality of the content will be better than what’s
normally created at the tail end of a marathon session.
If you’re interested in the Pomodoro Technique, you might want to
download one of the following programs:
Team Viz
(a program that syncs between your computer and mobile
phone)
Pomodoro Time Management by Rapid Rabbit
(iPhone and iPad
apps)
Pomodoro Timer
(PC users)
Pomodoro
(Mac users)
Pomodoro
(Android users)
When it comes to time blocking, the amount of time you choose really
depends on your personal preference. I like the Pomodoro Technique
because it has a nice symmetry. The 25 minutes on and 5 minutes off
adds up to 30 minutes. You can schedule these 30-minute blocks
throughout the day and use these sprints to complete those challenging
tasks that you would normally procrastinate on.