The Pomodoro Technique is a widely known method for consciously controlling the amount of time spent on specific activities. In other words, a time management technique.
It’s one method amongst a myriad of different methods, all claiming that they are the best. And it even exists training courses to learn you the Pomodoro method (I really hope you learn something more as well, because the technique is super simple).
We think this method works good for us, maybe because of its simplicity.
Actually, the name says it all: the method is named after a “Pomodoro” kitchen timer.
The Method
The basic steps in the method is:
- Decide on the task to be done.
- Start a 25 minute timer.
- Work, Work, Work until the timer rings.
- Take a 5 minutes break.
- Goto 1
Every four cycle: Take a longer break.
And since we like to make things, and our office clock had stopped working it was a really good idea to make a clock with an inbuilt Pomodoro timer.
Building the Clock
So after going through old parts lying around, we found some appropriate segment displays. Perfect!
We quickly designed a PCB with among other things, a real time clock, useless many buttons (5) and a mosfet for controlling a big load.
To alarm the Pomodoro participants about period start and stop, sound is not good enough. Because most of the time we use headphones so it’s really useless to talk to us:P But what about light? The perfect solution in this quick-and-dirty case was a warning lamp (those kind you see on excavators).
We went for a simple and easy design solutions; the sandwich method. Plexi back and front with the electronics in-between.
So how does this work?
Awesome!
What methods do you use, when you really need do do something? And especially when it’s more tempting to do something completely different and useless instead..
