Akshay's Reviews > The Pomodoro Technique

Rules
! A Pomodoro Consists of 25 minutes Plus a Five-Minute Break (§2.1).
! After Every Four Pomodoros Comes a 15-30 Minute Break (§2.1.2).
! The Pomodoro Is Indivisible. There are no half or quarter Pomodoros (§2.1).
! If a Pomodoro Begins, It Has to Ring:
! If a Pomodoro is interrupted definitively – i.e. the interruption isn’t handled
(§2.2.2) – it’s considered void, never begun, and it can’t be recorded with an X
(§2.1.1).
! If an activity is completed once a Pomodoro has already begun, continue reviewing
the same activity until the Pomodoro rings (§2.1.3).
! Protect the Pomodoro (§2.2.3). Inform effectively, negotiate quickly to reschedule the
interruption, call back the person who interrupted you as agreed.
! If It Lasts More Than 5-7 Pomodoros, Break It Down (§2.3, §3.11, §4.2). Complex
activities should be divided into several activities.
! If It Lasts Less Than One Pomodoro, Add It Up (§2.3, §4.2). Simple tasks can be
combined.
! Results Are Achieved Pomodoro after Pomodoro (§3.8).
! The Next Pomodoro Will Go Better (§3.9).

Glossary
! Pomodoro. Kitchen timer used to measure 25-minute intervals. The name of the Technique
comes from the first timer used which was shaped like a tomato (pomodoro in Italian).
! Time-boxing. With this technique, once a series of activities has been assigned to a given
time interval, the delivery date for these activities should never change. If necessary, the
unfinished activities can be reassigned to the following time interval.
! Qualitative estimation error. This error occurs when all the activities needed to reach a
certain goal haven’t been identified.
! Quantitative estimation error. This error occurs when the estimation of a single activity
(or set of activities) is higher (overestimation) or lower (underestimation) than the actual
effort.