Once the basics of the project were all laid out, it was time to figure out a schedule. Not only do I have a certain number of co-op hours I must hit, I also have a small period of time to do it in. I just finished summer school this week, and all my hours must be completed by the end of the summer. This was very stressful, so, I decided to make multiple schedules to help me assess just what I can do to make up time. I had to make sure there was time to workout every day as well- as I’m a division 1 athlete.

Finding time for this made me feel overwhelmed, and I had trouble focusing on the project at hand. I couldn’t enjoy it like I wanted to. So, I did some research and came across the Pomodoro technique.

Basically, the Pomodoro technique is a bunch of short work intervals interlaced with small breaks, and eventually, larger breaks. The goal is to be completely focused for a short period of time to increase productivity, instead of being partially focused for long periods of time. The Pomodoro technique is used in many workplaces, and even has apps to accompany it. I decided to download 2 different apps and try them out.

Flow Timer: minimalistic design and sends alerts when your timer is up. Keeps track of how many cycles you do, and measure breaks for you. Below is what the app looks like.

 

Focus Keeper: same principle as above, but slightly different design. I haven’t used this one yet.

 

What I discovered from these apps is just by having the timer running I get more work done- I don’t even need to take breaks every 25 minutes like the Pomodoro technique suggests, I just like having my tasks broken up into segments like these apps allow me to more easily do. It even makes the time pass quicker, as 25 minute segments are seem much more manageable.