Yasin started researching and investigating the Technique more than one year ago and uses it for project tracking and homework, as well as just general development/design tasks. He also has introduced the technique to his family.
"I received the overall (amazing) benefit of finally enhancing my focus and concentration, as well as really harnessing the power of time when working on a task – making sure enough time is dedicated to said task while still taking the time to relax and just have a break."
Yasin Soliman – Student
PT: When did you begin using the Pomodoro Technique?
Y: I began using and researching the Pomodoro Technique earlier this year when investigating effective time management solutions.
PT: Why did you start using the Pomodoro Technique?
Y: I wanted to use a time tracking and management technique which lets you start taking control of your time with the power to accomplish your goals and actually track this improvement in a personal, reflective format.
PT: What did you apply the technique in?
Y: I applied the technique when organising and tracking my personal to-do list and activities, allowing me to manage how much time I had spent on each task and how this reflects on the work I have completed in the time.
PT: What difficulties did you encounter?
Y: One of the primary difficulties I encountered in this objective was the total use of an indivisible tracking format (25 minutes of only work and 5 minute break) and also some interruptions which might affect or void current progress. This was just something I needed to adapt to.
PT: How did you overcome the difficulties?
Y: I overcame the difficulty of not being used to the indivisible format by clearly remembering you must work for the full 25 minutes and then have a 5 minute break, no matter how close you are to completion. This is something which might take time to adapt to but is an integral step in starting to use the Technique.
PT: What benefits did you receive?
Y: During the 5 minute break I felt that I could just relax and ‘detach’ from my project for a few minutes – this feeling of total disconnection lets you reflect on your work completed in the last Pomodoro and also to stand up and have a quick walk or a drink during the break.
PT: What difficulties did you encounter?
Y: The main difficulty when dealing with this objective is that primarily internal interruptions are bound to happen – which obviously interferes with the prioritizing of the original Pomodoro-tracked task. When you start a Pomodoro, it must complete and ring to be marked – this is essential if you would like to use the technique effectively.
PT: How did you overcome the difficulties?
Y: I overcame the interference and interruption difficulty by using interruption marking on my Pomodoro sheet. I used a simple apostrophe and wrote it down in a separate category (for items which have not been planned) and noted it as Urgent if it was an interruption which needed to be completed, after the Pomodoro had rung.
PT: What benefits did you receive?
Y: This objective gives the main benefit of ‘conquering time’ – the ability to remove a sense of interrupted anxiety and concentrate on the actual job being tracked – the primary task you actually want to complete and achieve. This is a great feeling that lets you continue to work on your current task while still noting any interruptions – whether they are internal or external.
PT: What difficulties did you encounter?
Y: It was quite difficult to estimate the amount of 25-minute work Pomodoros when
planning on my activity sheet – as some list items might take longer to complete,
or something might go wrong adding extra time to the work ‘slot’ to rectify any
problems encountered.
PT: How did you overcome the difficulties?
Y: I overcame this difficulty by trying to accommodate for the work task, as well as the ‘finalisation’ slot in case anything went wrong or something needed to be checked. This sense of finalisation enabled me to allocate enough time to actually complete the task, as well as make sure it has been completed to a suitable standard. I also marked a maximum amount and led up to this – by under/over estimating, or reaching the exact goal.
PT: What benefits did you receive?
Y: I received a great feeling of ‘productiveness’ as being able to estimate the amount of time and effort required to complete a task was something I had never used in previous time tracking solutions. I also received the feeling that every Pomodoro is regulated and is the same – no fractions or ‘divisibles’ making my to-do tracking so much easier.
PT: What difficulties did you encounter?
Y: I wanted to make the most of each Pomodoro and optimise the time spent on each job. One of the issues was I needed to remember the previous
work on the same task and use this to continue working on the task after the allocated 5 minute break.
PT: How did you overcome the difficulties?
Y: I overcame this by reflecting on the structure of the Pomodoro and started to allocate certain minutes to certain tasks – improving on my response in Objective 3. I always use the first minutes to plan and start co-ordinating a task, using the last few minutes to review and finalise the task (as mentioned previously).
PT: What benefits did you receive?
Y: I really felt that this sense of allocation and time management was essential and
benefited by taking the helm of my tasks and making sure they were
completed and co-ordinated effectively to make the most of my time and avoid
going off track with other, smaller projects. This felt extremely great to understand
how your tasks are being completed in a unified way.
PT: What difficulties did you encounter?
Y: This was quite a difficult objective as it needed the creation of a timetable which separated work time and free time. I needed to set a certain limit to my work and also to remember to complete my work at a steady, but not rushed pace which allowed me to finish the task within the timetabled limit.
PT: How did you overcome the difficulties?
Y: After working out how to effectively manage this time, I felt one of the most important benefits (in my opinion) – the power to assimilate and separate the day’s time between actual Pomodoro-tracked work and free time where work should not be completed, and to harness your 5 minute breaks effectively.
PT: What benefits did you receive?
Y: I overcame the separation difficulties by using a sense of personal response questioning to work out if I had completed all tasks, and how many Pomodoros I had used. This kept me within the timetabled limits and helped to reinforce not to bypass these limits – keeping the total separation between work time and free time.
PT: What did you choose as your personal objective?
Y: My PIO (personal improvement objective) when using the Pomodoro Technique was to finally conquer my time anxiety and draw a line between managed work time and free time using the Technique – and using this to work productively while preserving some time for breaks and actual ‘non-work’.
PT: What difficulties did you encounter?
Y: I really was quite anxious when starting to use the Technique, as time was something I really needed to overcome when working on projects and actually differentiating between the project and other things around me, such as interruptions and breaks.
PT: How did you overcome the difficulties?
Y: These final anxiety difficulties were overcome just by mentally reinforcing the Technique and finally conquering the aspect of time when working on a project, as well as times where project work may coincide with other important tasks or things around me.
PT: What benefits did you receive?
Y: Concluding this report, I received the overall (amazing) benefit of finally enhancing my focus and concentration, as well as really harnessing the power of time when working on a task – making sure enough time is dedicated to said task while still taking the time to relax and just have a break.