Can a tomato make you more productive?

My quest to get more and better work done is endless — but not nearly as endless as my willingness to blab about that quest with anyone who'll listen.

In the last few months, a few wise souls who've counseled me have leaned in, Mr. McGuire-like, and whispered in my ear a single word: Pomodoro.

What-the-heck-o?

Pomodoro. It's Italian for tomato, and it turns out to be a deceptively simple time management hack with a growing fan base. Some Pink Blog readers, no doubt, have heard of it. But to me, this tomato was super fresh.

All you need is a kitchen timer — in Italy, kitchen timers are traditionally tomato-shaped — pencil, paper, and task that needs to be done. The Pomodoro Technique website has more details, but basically you set a kitchen timer for 25 minutes, work until the bell rings, and then take a 5-minute break. After four of these "pomodoros," you've earned a 15-minute break (the pencil and paper are for keeping track).

You could stick with a kitchen timer or even your iPhone. But here are a few apps, gadgets, widgets, and websites that make pomodoro-ing even more fun:

25 Minutes
CherryTomato
Pomodoro for Mac
Pomodori (also for Mac)
Tomatoi.st
FocusBooster
Tomighty

(BTW, if you like this idea, you might also dig the post, The Power of an Hourly Beep, from back in October.)