One Productivity Strategy as Finals Approach

by Betsy Chapman

In this Issue:

  • SOCCER!
  • The Pomodoro technique, a productivity strategy

We are back from Thanksgiving break and our students are now down to the last week of classes, which means there is a lot to do in a compressed time frame. But before we get to that, we have some great sporting news to share:

SOCCER!

Our men’s soccer team has reached the NCAA Quarterfinals!

“Behind a golden-goal winner from freshman Dylan Borso, the No. 8 seeded Wake Forest men’s soccer team (12-4-7) has advanced to its 10th Elite Eight in program history following a 2-1 victory over defending National Champion and No. 9 seeded Clemson (15-3-4) in the Round of 16 on Sunday night at Spry Stadium. Wake Forest will look to make its seventh College Cup appearance and third in the last 10 seasons when the Deacs travel to Columbus to take on No. 1 Ohio State next weekend.”

Not to be outdone, the women’s soccer team is also having an incredible season: “For the second time in program history and first since 2011, the No. 2-seeded Wake Forest women’s soccer team (15-3-4) has advanced to the College Cup following a 4-3 advancement in penalty kicks over No. 1-seed USC (18-1-4) Friday afternoon at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. The two sides ended 110 minutes of action level at 2-2 before senior Kristin Johnson converted on the winning penalty kick.”

Let’s keep this party going, Deacs! As Mr. Daily Deac is fond of saying, “I just want Wake to win their last game” 🙂

The Pomodoro technique, a productivity strategy

So Thanksgiving break is over and students have to get – briefly – back to the grind. As our Deacs think about their remaining course work and studying for finals, I thought I might share a productivity strategy that may be helpful to them (or to you!) It’s called the Pomodoro Technique (pomodoro is the Italian word for tomato).

You can read the full story of the Pomodoro Technique, but the gist is this: you “alternate pomodoros — focused work sessions — with frequent short breaks to promote sustained concentration and stave off mental fatigue.”

Here are some select highlights from the article about the Pomodoro Technique:

How does Pomodoro work?

“Here’s the basic step-by-step to start applying the Pomodoro Technique:

  1. Get your to-do list and a timer
  2. Set your timer for 25 minutes, and focus on a single task until the timer rings.
  3. When your session ends, mark off one Pomodoro and record what you completed.
  4. Then enjoy a five-minute break.
  5. After four pomodoros, take a longer, more restorative 15-30 minute break.”

For the visual learners, this graphic sums it up:

The Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique may be for your student (or you!) if they/you…

  • “Find little distractions often derail the whole workday
  • Consistently work past the point of optimal productivity
  • Have lots of open-ended work that could take unlimited amounts of time (e.g., studying for an exam, researching a blog post, etc.)
  • Are overly optimistic when it comes to how much you can get done in a day”

Pomodoro combats distractions

One thing I especially like about the Pomodoro Technique is it helps you resist the temptation to engage in distractions. The article explains:

“The constant stream of information pouring in [via emails, texts, and social media notifications ]…demands more and more of our attention….While it would be nice to blame technology for everything, [a leading researcher suggests that]… half of all workday distractions are self-inflicted. Meaning we pull ourselves out of focus.

We often find ourselves justifying these distractions with thoughts like:

  • “Should I work on this other task instead?”
  • “Taking a break now seems good”
  • “I’m going to check this email real quick”
  • “I have to reply to that one friend I left on read…”
  • “I’m craving some boba tea right now, I should go get it”

Those small interruptions add up! …Indulging the impulse to check TikTok “just for a minute” can turn into 20 minutes of trying to get back on task.

The Pomodoro Technique helps you resist all of those self-interruptions and re-train your brain to focus. Each Pomodoro is dedicated to one task, and each break is a chance to reset and bring your attention back to what you should be working on.”

Every student has to find their own strategy for time management and maximum productivity. If your Deac already has theirs, fantastic. But if they do not, and they are complaining about all they have to do, you might say to them “hey, I read something the other day about a technique for how to stay focused and productive. Do you want me to share it with you?“

And – the hardest part – only share if they say yes 🙂

Even if this is not something they can use, perhaps it is something you can try if you are interested.

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