The Pomodoro Technique developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s uses a timer to break down work into 25-minute intervals separated by 5-minute breaks. Each of these intervals is called a "pomodoro" (after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer originally used to track them). After you’ve completed four sprints, take a longer break (15-30 minutes) to refresh for your next series of sprints.
Set up a Pomodoro workflow in Todoist
- Create a “Pomodoro” project in Todoist and within it create 8-10 recurring Pomodoros (1st Pomodoro, 2nd, 3rd, etc.).
- In your Today view, arrange all your daily tasks underneath each Pomodoro. Estimate how long each task would take to complete. If a task takes more than 30 minutes, break it up into smaller sub-tasks.
- When you start working on a Pomodoro, set a timer (traditionally to 25 min.). After completing each pomodoro, mark it as done and take a short break (3-5 min.). Once you complete four pomodoros, take a longer break (15-30 min.) to refresh for your next session.
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Try one of the Pomodoro-optimized time management apps that integrate with Todoist, such as Toggl Track.
Learn more
If you want to learn more about how to beat procrastination with this productivity method, check out our detailed Pomodoro Technique productivity guide. It goes into the history of the technique, the three rules for maximum productivity, quick tips, and more!