As someone with an admittedly short attention span, getting started on work can sometimes be a circus act that goes a little like this:
- The Delay: “Ok it’s 9:06, I said I was going to start working at 9:00. Unfortunately, I have no choice but to wait until 9:15. It’s only right.”
- The Confusion: “That’s fine. 15 minutes isn’t too bad. What am I going to start with though? I have three papers all due the same weekend. Wait, there’s something I’m forgetting.”
- The Realization: “Ah yes, the Econ midterm is the Thursday before. That has to come first. But Allan and Bilan wanted to study together for that. Let me text the group chat and see when they’re free.”
- The Spiral: Texting the group chat turns into checking Instagram, which turns into scrolling on reels, which turns into sending people the 1 in 10 reels that turn out to be funny.
This is an example of an internal monologue that I’ve gone through many times in the past. This kind of thought process typically ends with absolutely nothing getting accomplished. In order to avoid this unfortunate waste of time, I’ve been trying to implement different strategies. The main point for me is to stagger work and breaks in order to limit the strength of distractions like social media. Today, I tried the Pomodoro Technique.
The Pomodoro Technique
This work method involves making a list of tasks and splitting them into different time intervals. In between these intervals, there are breaks. In the beginning as I’m trying to keep momentum; I take productive breaks where I’m still doing something that keeps my brain active. For later breaks I need a more relaxed rest period and will do something less productive (like watch reels).
Today’s work with the Pomodoro Technique:
Task 1 – Draft Intro: I worked on writing the introduction for a draft.
Break 1 – In a literal sense I did this drawing for work, but I used it as a sort of break knowing that drawing puts my mind at ease, while keeping me focused
Task 2 – Writing Draft Body: I worked on writing the body text for a draft:
Break 2 – Lunch: I ate some Chinese food
Task 3 – Photos: I took photos for a different project
Wrap up – I wrapped up by planning the next day, listening to some music, and walking back home.
This isn’t to say that this works 100% of the time without fail. Like most people, I get distracted and fall behind, but strategies like this help me get back on track. Whatever works for you, stick to it and just keep going!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alvin Nganga is an International Student from Nairobi, Kenya. He’s an international relations major and a lover of basketball and all things creative. As a summer content creator, he’s looking to entertain and connect with the UBCO community. In the process he hopes to meet new people and have a lasting impact in whatever way he can.
