‘Sir, please tell me how to manage our time?’ The youth have asked me this same question many times. Whenever they ask, I immediately give my answer like this, ‘To manage your mind, you need to do yoga.’ And even before I could finish speaking, the student would interrupt, ‘Sir, I have asked about time management.’ I will answer confidently – ‘I am also saying the same thing, how to manage the mind.’ The young man will say irritably, ‘Sir Time, TIME.’ I would respond, ‘Did you say MIND?’ He will come running and stand in front and shout – ‘Sir, time.’ This will make other people laugh, because some will think that I listen less, others will think that I am pranking. Then I would call him on stage and tell him a story from 1980, in which Francesco Cirillo, an Italian university student, was under immense pressure regarding exam dates and was extremely frustrated with his studies. He realized that his mind was adept at distraction. He would sit at his desk for hours, but achieve nothing. Frustrated, he made a bet with himself: could he read with full concentration and without interruption for just 10 minutes? He went to the kitchen and picked up a mechanical kitchen timer shaped like a tomato and making a loud noise, which is called ‘Pomodoro’ in Italian. He turned the timer and set it and sat down. He failed in his first few attempts because internal disorientation was stopping him. But he kept changing the deadline. Ultimately he discovered that 25 minutes was the perfect ‘sweet spot’ – long enough to make meaningful progress on work and short enough to keep his mind from wandering. At one point, Cirillo went from failing to focus to passing university exams by completing just one 25-minute block at a time. Ultimately, he turned that little kitchen timer into a global productivity movement. Today, the ‘Pomodoro Technique’ developed by Cirillo is used by many people in the Western world who have tried everything but failed to give up the habit of procrastination. So how to do it? Here are the 5 steps: 1. Pick a task: Pick a specific task that you want to do. 2. Set a timer: Set a timer for 25 minutes. 3. Work: Concentrate completely on the work until the timer rings. No multitasking or checking your phone. 4. Take a short break: Take a 5-minute break as soon as the timer rings. Stretch or have a drink. 5. Take a longer break: After completing four consecutive 25-minute ‘Pomodoros’, take a restorative break of 15-30 minutes. This method works because committing to just 25 minutes of work is much less intimidating than committing to a massive, hours-long project. A strict timer encourages a single-tasking mindset rather than distracting a person from multiple things. Youngsters get the benefit from this that short and regular intervals give the necessary rest to the brain, which makes it easier to process information and productivity remains high throughout the day. For this there is no need to invest in any special timer machine. An old simple timepiece can also be useful, but please do not take a mobile phone. If you are working on a highly mentally demanding topic like deep study or complex problem solving, you can adapt this technique to your energy level. The bottom line is that, at least for those who are prone to procrastination, breaking work into focused 25-minute chunks, taking 5-minute breaks, will not only prevent fatigue but also maximize focus.
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N. Raghuraman’s Column: One can achieve best results with ’25 minute’ technique
