Tomatoes Are Good For You
“Pomodoro” is the Italian word for tomato.
The Pomodoro Technique is a technique to block out 25 minutes of intense concentration followed by a five-minute break. I learned about the Pomodoro Technique while taking the world’s most popular online course, Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects.
Barbara Oakley, one of the instructors in the course and professor of engineering, says that the Pomodoro Technique is “Probably one of the most powerful techniques in all of learning.”
I was intrigued and decided to learn more about it.
The Pomodoro Technique was born in Sutri, a small medieval village 50 kilometers north of Rome, in 1987. A student was frantically trying to read his textbook. Unable to concentrate, he wandered into the kitchen and grabbed a timer, which happened to be tomato-shaped. He set the timer and began to read. When the timer went off, he was delighted to realize he had been reading continuously without being distracted. He had managed to read for just 2 minutes.
Francesco Cirillo, who later developed the Pomodoro Technique, could not manage the now standard time of 25 minutes followed by a break of 5 minutes. At first, he could only manage 2 minutes.
Only two minutes.
It is difficult for most people to concentrate, particularly on unpleasant tasks.
But I learned the timer is a distraction. The Pomodoro Technique is a mental state that provides a sanctuary for thinking. A calm mind is not our default setting. Our minds are most naturally in turmoil. It takes practice—relentless practice—for a mind to calm itself so it can develop a tranquil space to think in.
Some might call the tranquil mental state we are striving for a flow state or being in the zone.
Characteristics of the flow state are:
Intense, focused concentration
Merging of action and awareness
A loss of reflective self-consciousness
A sense of control
A distortion of time
The experience is rewarding
To complete a Pomodoro, you need to bracket out a period of time and make sure your immediate distractions have been eliminated as much as possible. Shut your computer off, and put your phone in silent mode. Tell the important people in your life that a particular time is your "tomato time," and you are not to be disturbed. The Pomodoro practice needs to be integrated into your social network.
You begin. The timer is set, and the task is started. Perhaps an equation to solve or a book to be read. If all goes well, the timer will go off moments later, and a significant amount of work will have been accomplished. But usually, particularly in the first few attempts, you will be distracted from your task. Don't be discouraged. It is very important to be kind to yourself when you succumb to distractions.
That was my mistake. I was focused on my timer. When I learned that the Pomodoro Technique is not merely about setting a timer and blocking out time, and discovered it is a practice that must be regularly infused into one’s life, that is when I began to make progress.
It is impossible to practice juggling at first because you need to juggle the balls long enough to be able to practice. It takes a great deal of attempting to practice before you are finally able to practice.
The Pomodoro Technique is like that.
To feel the sensations of the process, to drift from the chaotic external world to the tranquil inner world, takes time. It is like a fish discovering the water it has been swimming in for the first time.
Be kind to yourself for inevitable failures when you begin. Practice with relentless calm.
You will discover that tomatoes are good for you.