I Tried the Pomodoro Technique, and I've Never Been More Productive in My Life

The Pomodoro Technique was started by consulting firm owner Francesco Cirillo while he was in college in the 1980s. Cirillo decided he wanted to work smarter, not harder, so he used a tomato timer to keep track of the time he spent studying, and would then reward himself with a timed break. Cirillo perfected the method until it blossomed into the Pomodoro Technique it is today, which has six key concepts:

1. Pick a task to get done on your to-do list.
2. Set the timer for 25 minutes.
3. Work on that task until the timer rings.
4. Check off the task on your to-do list.
5. Take a short break.
6. Repeat; after every four of these "Pomodoro Sessions," take an even longer break.