Recently I decided to try on myself the so-called “Tomato” method.
This way of organizing working hours is very convenient for freelancers or for business executives, that is for all those who make up a schedule on their own and do not depend on other people’s plans for the day.
The method is as follows: break your work day into equal short intervals (25 minutes recommended, but I take 50), plan firmly what you will do in each of these time periods (“tomatoes”), you must end up doing this at the end of the ” tomato “, take a break for 5 minutes (I do 10 minutes), and then proceed to the next” tomato “(25 minutes, or, like me – 50 minutes). And so – the whole working day. Breaks in work every half hour (or hour) should be used for rest, short calls, snacking, warm-up.
The most important thing in this method, in my opinion – is not to be distracted by anything for during one “tomato”. For example, you decided to devote the next 50 minutes of working time to developing a contract with a partner. In these 50 minutes you will be telephoned; a pop-up window in the computer will tell you that someone has liked your post; you will want to drink tea; In the next room (if you are at home) your favorite music will be heard, colleagues (if you are at work) will discuss interesting gossip. You will be poured with hundreds of temptations. The main thing is not to get distracted. As soon as you decide to see who it is there who liked your post, the next second you will look away from Facebook and with horror will find out that 40 minutes has already past. Familiar situation? So you need to be persistent. You need to put the phone in silent mode. You can look at who is calling in the corner of your eye, but do not take the telephone in any case. It’s tempting. All your relatives and friends should know that you are a busy person, and if you do not answer, then you are really busy with the business, and not ignoring them, and that you will necessarily call them back. If a call from a relative or friend is ringing three times in a row, then you need to pick up the phone. It means that something really important and urgent happened there.
The second important rule of the “Tomato” method is planning. Ideally, you should list all the “tomatoes” in the evening for tomorrow.
For example, here’s how the plan looks for one of my days:
09.00 – 09.50 – meeting on the project “I-teka”;
09.50 – 10.00 – break (I do on waiting lists in every pause 30 sit-ups, 30 push-ups or several exercise with dumbbells, drink a glass of clean water, call back, answer messages);
10.00 – 10.50 – work on documents for the “Qadam” project;
10.50 – 11.00 – break;
11.00 – 11.50 – physical work at home (go to the grocery store, replace the bulb in the corridor, sweep the yard, etc.);
11.50 – 12.00 – break;
12.00 – 12-50 – negotiations on Skype with a start-up from Almaty;
12.50 – 13.00 – break;
13.00 – 14.00 – lunch;
14.00 – 15.00 – sleep;
15.00 – 15.50 – meeting on the project “Findr”;
15.50 – 16.00 – break;
16.00 – 16.50 – reading of particular literature (on business, management, marketing, etc.);
16.50 – 17.00 – break;
17.00 – 17.50 – negotiations on Skype with a start-up from Atyrau;
17.50 – 18.00 – break;
18.00 – 18.50 – reading of fiction;
18.50 – 19.00 – break;
19.00 – 21-00 – training in the gym (on days without training – walking in the fresh air);
21.00 – 21.30 – light supper;
21.30 – 22.30 – reading fiction or watching a movie, planning for tomorrow.
Of course, not everything planned is done.
But drawing up a plan and trying to stick to it is a big step away from the chaotic throwing between momentary matters to a meaningful clear movement in a given direction.
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