This week I’ve been experimenting with a time-management system called the Pomodoro Technique. I’m not sure I’m completely sold on it; but I used it at work three days this week, and it seemed to help me keep busy and use my time better. Friday afternoons are often especially difficult, but I kept busy all afternoon today, and got a lot done.

The basic idea of the Pomodoro Technique is that you focus on one thing at a time. First thing in the morning, you make list of the activities you wish to complete during the day. Then, you pick the most important one, and set a timer for 25 minutes. You focus on just that activity until the timer goes off; then you take a short break (3 to 5 minutes). Then you decide what the most important activity to work on is (it might be the same one), set the timer, and off you go. Repeat throughout the day.

A big part of the technique is how you handle interruptions. For example, suppose you’re working on activity A, and you suddenly realize you need to do activity B at some point. You add B to your list (either for today or another day), and continue with A as quickly as possible.

The 25-minute interval is called a “pomodoro”. The technique was invented by an Italian, Francesco Cirillo; and in Italy, kitchen timers are apparently often shaped like tomatoes. And “tomato”, in Italian, is “pomodoro”.

Cirillo has a book on the technique on his website; you can download it for free. There’s a newer, more detailed book called The Pomodoro Technique Illustrated, which is also worth looking at.