Eat that Frog with a Pomodoro
Eat that frog means ‘JUST DO IT’. The question arises Why there comes a need to say out aloud this phrase?, likely the chances are you want to kill your Procrastination, the ultimate evil that every person can experience when it comes to getting things done.
Practising procrastination is something wholesome and lethal at the same time. It is such an addictive activity that a person keeps delaying even his prioritized list of tasks until the PANIC MONSTER ARRIVES, (Tim Urban Ted Talk, “Inside the mind of a master procrastinator”?) Finding a way to stop this destructive habit of procrastination can be achieved by using the most practical “Pomodoro Technique”. A time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s to break down work into chunks each of 25 mins and setting a timer for that, also accompanied by short breaks as a reward. This strategy surely has grabbed the attention of many helpless procrastinators since the 1980s because it has done wonders in ‘setting their souls on fire’ (by completing those tasks they’ve delayed the most). Also, I am included in the long list of those beneficiaries.
My personal experience:
I am the kind of person who keeps procrastinating until some hours before the deadline and that is time reason why I’m writing this blog Three hours before my PW submission :( But the most interesting part of this tragic situation that I’m facing right now is that I am currently using the Pomodoro technique.
Yes, folks! This technique is a lifesaver. It helps you to smash away your instant gratification monkey and let the rational decision-maker to channelize the whole mess you’ve created into something really productive. Let's get deep into what I’ve done to complete my online courses two days ago.
- Set the Pomodoro timer to 25 minutes
I used to set a timer for 25 minutes to do the maximum of what I’ve intended to do and Start working on my online lectures.
2. Work on the task until the timer rings. If a distraction pops into your head, write it down, but immediately get back on the task
Fighting with all those pretty addictive stimulators that used to divert our mind after every second, Social Media notifications is what we have to deal with during this whole course of time
3. After the timer tings, put a star (or a tick) on a piece of paper
This makes me feel a bit relaxed that woohoo I'm halfway there.
4. Take a short 3–5 minute break
Treating yourself with any reward is what keeps you motivated, this is the fuel that I needed to run my cycle of Pomodoro without any further procrastination.
5. Repeat steps 1–4, After you have 4 ticks on your paper, you can take a longer break (15–20 minutes), and continue working on your task by going to step 1 until you complete your task.
So yeah, It is entirely a cyclic activity, keep repeating this productive activity until made to it, For me, it almost took 2–3 cycles to just get done with this very task and the feeling of accomplishment I’ve gained superseded every possible procrastination.
My Takeaways from this activity:
This has become my favourite technique since I’ve incorporated it in my way to get done with a daily to-do list. In my perspective, How this Pomodoro golden stick works? Basically what happens is we decide to call Panic monster earlier than expected by setting our first deadline 25 mins away since we’ve started working on it. And that panic monster is a pro in rushing that procrastinator, Instant Gratification Monkey away, who used to reside in our brain since the task was assigned to us. Once the steering wheel is in the safe hands of the rational decision-maker and you’re into this moreish phenomenon of eating that frog, There’s no way back until you are finally done with it and an air of accomplishment surrounds you all around.
