I’ve also implemented it with success (I set realistic goals and achieve them – imagine that). If you want to improve on something you have to measure it, and this technique is simple enough to do that without a huge administrative overhead.

The technique has helped me in two ways:

(1) It helps me avoid what I call “exploring dead ends”. I often look back at my work day and wish I could have taken the straightest path from start to finish, rather than wasting time exploring non-viable options – what you call “falling down rabbit holes”. The Pomodoro technique breaks the cycle of working hard to follow a dead end by enforcing breaks, and forces me to ask “is this really where I want to head?”.

(2) It’s given me a new perspective on how much “productive” work I can accomplish during a day. Knowing I have very limited Pomodoro units (I average 5 25-minute units daily) means I deploy them guardedly and to only the most important projects for the day/week. I’m forced to identify unimportant tasks to cut them from my schedule.

What comprises a Pomodoro for me?

I’m playing with the level of concentration that constitutes a Pomodoro. I’ve found that the higher I set the bar, the fewer units I have available, and the scarcer they become. When they’re really scarce I nurture them by carefully planning my approach, and pre-process some of the information. Revising the concentration requirement down and I get more units, that take up a lot of the “pre-processing”.