How the Pomodoro Technique Helped Me Write Better.
How a simple technique helped me improve my focus and become a better writer.
The first time I heard of the Pomodoro Technique was when I completed a popular online course on Coursera, Learning How to Learn.
What is the Pomodoro Technique?
The Pomodoro Technique was a time management technique developed by Francesco Cirillo that involved the use of a timer to break tasks into smaller tasks to increase productivity.
The Pomodoro technique can be listed in the following simple steps:
- Break down any task into mini-tasks.
- Each such mini-task should be worked upon using the Pomodoro technique.
- This technique involves doing 25 minutes of focused work and then taking a small break.
- This break typically should last around 5 to 10 minutes.
- Repeat the above three steps until you’ve completed at least 4 cycles of 25 minutes of work.
- Follow up with a long break of around 25 to 30 minutes and then repeat the cycle.
The idea behind creating mini-tasks and taking small breaks after every 25 minutes is extremely beneficial and is proven to increase productivity.
How did it help me?
While I came across this technique as a tool for better learning, I realized I could also apply it to my writing.
I always wanted to write longer articles but was unable to do so due to my lack of focus. This showed in my work and my articles ended up being very dull towards the end.
Recently, when Ukraine was invaded by Russia, it made my blood boil, and I wanted to shout out that war only brings suffering. But who was listening?
So, I decided to write a comprehensive article on The economic impact of the Ukraine crisis and argue why this war will not lead to any “winner” but only multiple “losers”.
This was how I went about it:
- Breaking down the article into mini-tasks.
I knew at the very outset that this particular article would be quite a long and comprehensive one.
So, I broke down the article broadly into 4 major parts:
A. The role of Ukraine in the global economy. (mainly as an agricultural powerhouse)
B. The effect of the sanctions on Russia.
C. Effect of the sanctions on global prices of commodities.
D. Conclusion.
2. Working on each part using the Pomodoro Technique.
“The role of Ukraine in the global economy” was the most challenging part I encountered while writing the article.
I set the timer for 25 minutes and started writing and by the time I was done, I had written enough but I felt there was a need to make the write-up better.
The 5-minute break gave me the breather that I needed to improve my article.
I felt there was a need to graphically represent the statistics that I had collected about Ukraine’s major economic contributions. So, I decided to create a comprehensive chart on the same using data collated from various databases like the FAO website.
A few hours (and a few small breaks) later I was done with my first mini-task.
3. Making modifications to maintain my writing style.
The next day, I got through the other three parts of the article.
However, I noticed that the “Conclusion” wasn’t in line with the style I had used for the other 3 parts. I followed the Pomodoro Technique to the tee.
Then why had my style suddenly changed?
I tried to re-write the conclusion but I couldn’t. Dejected, I decided to call it a day.
4. Finishing Touches.
The next day, I went back to the “Conclusion” and I realized what was wrong. The conclusion required a holistic re-look at the entire article, it was not just a standalone but a representative of the entire article.
So, I went through my article again and then re-wrote the conclusion keeping in mind the writing style I had followed.
This time, it came out very well.
5. Publishing the article and feedback.
I topped up the article with a few hygiene checks like Grammarly and made sure I had given due credit for all the sources and Unsplash photos I had used in my article.
I published my article and the response I have received has been encouraging.
And the credit goes to….
The Pomodoro Technique helped me overcome a major weakness of mine — focus.
And I guess that’s what was required the most. Maybe the fact that I felt strongly about the issue may have also made a difference. But still.
It is not a quick fix and it takes some practice. Proof being I still lost my focus while writing the “Conclusion” which I re-wrote later.
I have used this technique in some of my other articles and it is surely and steadily helping me become a better writer.
P.S: Hope this helps you! Do leave your comments below on how I could have written this article better as well.
