Welcome to Issue #47 of Dave’s Productivity Newsletter (soon to be the Work & Craft Newsletter!) where I share 1 Big Idea & 3 Little Updates to help you work with more focus and intention.
I’ve always been intrigued by productivity systems that raise our levels of focus and creativity. But there’s a common sequence of events when trying out a new system or habit:
🧐 Start using system
😊 Get really excited
🤩 Build momentum
🫠 Things unravel
😟 Abandon and replace with new system
And there’s a reason for this: everything in the universe – work included – moves toward entropy. This is a whole other topic in itself, but is the biggest challenge for creators and teams – staying consistently productive, while working on the highest leverage actions, without burning out.
I’ve Tried (and Failed) Using The Pomodoro Technique Many Times
Ever since jumping into the productivity rabbit hole several years ago, I’ve revisited PT many times, but it’s never stuck.
There’s a few key reasons for this, but it comes down to a simple misinterpretation:
Pomodoros don’t help you plan your days or weeks, and they don’t magically increase the speed at which you work.
It’s far more simple than that.
The technique forces us to calm the many ideas swirling around our minds at any given time, and focus on one thing, regardless of how long it will actually take.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
What is the Pomodoro Technique?
The Pomodoro Technique, created by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, is a time management method that involves working in focused 25-minute intervals, called Pomodoros, followed by short breaks of 5 minutes. It’s a simple yet powerful way to enhance productivity and reduce stress.
After completing four Pomodoros, you take a longer break of 15-30 minutes. This cycle helps maintain focus and prevent burnout.
Here’s exactly how to implement it:
Choose a task or project to work on.
Set a timer for 25 minutes.
Work on the task until the timer goes off.
Take a 5-minute break.
Repeat the process, and after four Pomodoros, take a longer break.
Tools and Resources: Use simple tools like a kitchen timer or specialized apps like Focus Booster and Pomodone to track your Pomodoros.
And Remember: Start small and gradually integrate the technique into your routine. The goal is to improve productivity, not to feel confined by the method.
Sounds simple, right?
There’s a reason why it’s a surprisingly hard habit to build…
Check out my latest blog post diving deeper on the Pomodoro Technique, and a few common pitfalls to avoid.
NOTION UPDATES
Table of Contents gets an Upgrade!
Did you know Notion’s latest update lets you add a table of contents?!
This is so much cleaner than adding a table of contents in the page, and frees up lots of space on the page. Notion has been on fire lately, loving these sneaky updates. Keep them coming, Notion!
Just go to the ••• page settings at top right, and toggle on Table of Contents. 😉
GREAT TOOLS
⏰ Session | Time Tracking App
Session is a beautifully designed and feature-rich pomodoro timer app for Mac and iOS, and has been my go-to timer for the past few weeks. It goes far beyond a basic pomodoro timer by offering a suite of tools like:
Syncing across Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch so your timers are always available
Detailed analytics on your productivity sessions
Calendar integration to see your sessions alongside events
If you’re not using a Mac, I’d go with Toggl Track – a powerful time tracking tool that also includes a pomodoro timer mode. It allows tracking time on tasks/projects, generating detailed reports, and syncs across devices.
VIDEO TUTORIAL
⏳ Create a Timer System in Notion
If you’re thinking of tracking your time, and refuse to use anything but Notion, this is a fun challenge!
In this video, we dive into using Notion’s buttons feature to create task timers that roll up your time entries in unique ways. We also tie this into a larger dashboard, where we can see where our time is going and help guide us in time-blocking the week.
🙌🏼 That’s it for this week!
I’d love to hear what you think. What content resonates? What do you want to see more or less of? Just hit reply to let me know!
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