Sometimes…I even take a holy-hell-I-can’t-deal-today-I-just-need-to-sit-on-the-couch-and-watch-90s-movies-all-afternoon break. I take a talk-on-the-phone-with-the-boyfriend-like-a-teenager break. So, instead, I build breaks in to my day. And I don’t want to push through or even attempt to cross another item off my to-do list. When I don’t take breaks, when I try to power through, when I tell myself, “Ugh, but there’s just so much more to doooo,” I get tired. That you shouldn’t tear yourself away from your computer to eat, drink water, pee (or poo), stretch your legs, or have an impromptu YouTube concert in your living room. That you’ve gotta hustle for the hundred dollar bills, y’all. That if you’re not working, you’re not making money. When you’re running your own business, there’s this belief that you have to work all. ![]() You (supposedly) get to leave the office at 5. In the corporate world, you’re (supposedly) given a few breaks a day. Here’s some ways I’ve been protecting my energy as an introvert running a business. ![]() I mean, what do you do when the face of your business is mid-introvert hangover from a meeting that went too long but has another meeting (with a potential client, no less) at 3 in the afternoon?!? On Friday? Especially when you’re running a business and you’re the face of said business. And Google Docs and Facebook and Slack and Instagram…Īnd, even though it’s apparently cool or more acceptable to be an introvert these days (like we have a choice…), it’s still not easy. Even though there’s fewer email chains about happy hour on Friday (whoo – margaritas!), there will always be email. Even though there are fewer team meetings, there are still calls and video chats with clients. How would you like it if I announced on a conference call, “He’s just an arrogant douche?” Doesn’t feel so good, does it?)Įven though I don’t want to be around people all the time, it’s still lonely AF sitting behind a computer solo. (Hey, vomit squirrel, there’s a difference between introverted and shy. Sure, in some ways, it’s a dream come true: no open-office concept, no random coworkers dropping by to “chat,” no ice cream socials, no team projects, no snide comments about how you’re “shy” or never participate… The Art of Simple is not affiliated with, associated with, or endorsed by the Pomodoro Technique® or Francesco Cirillo.Running a business as an introvert is hard. Hmmm, maybe I should add a tomato timer to my great graduation gift guide…. My youngest has gone on to share it with his roommates to help with preparing for finals. But with a little added structure, the Pomodoro Technique® might provide an extra push to not just start, but finish, whatever it is you’re working on now.Īfter my daughter explained it to me, I shared the technique with my sons. You might be skeptical, especially if you’ve set timers in the past to complete a task. Those little Pomodoro checkmarks become very incentivizing, little check-y rewards. You can do anything for 25 minutes if you put on blinders. My daughter uses it to compartmentalize schoolwork and projects at work I’ve used it for writing, working, even housework. To derive the most benefit, it’s in my best interest to follow the method as it’s designed. I’ve found this the same when using Pomodoro if I deviate from the process, my productivity and efficiency decreases. It reminds me of when I do a Whole30 sure, I could cheat a little here or there, but the little I “gain” from the cheat doesn’t compare to the benefit of 100% compliance. There is a catch, sort of, a “secret” for it to be most effective: you cannot cheat. Pomodoro is the Italian word for “tomato.” My productivity has skyrocketed.Ĭreated by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s, the Pomodoro Technique® got its name from the timer Cirillo used when first developing the time management method–he used a tomato-shaped timer. Six steps so incredibly easy, how could it possibly work? It sounds too good to be true. Every 4 Pomodoros, take a longer break.When the Pomodoro rings, put a checkmark on a paper.Work on the task until the Pomodoro rings.The good news is my daughter introduced me to a technique that is ridiculously simple yet remarkably effective: The Pomodoro Technique®. While I don’t have a problem following directions, focus is elusive and I find myself easily distracted. I don’t need your judgment in addition to my own. Right now I have three browsers open, and don’t even think about asking how many tabs. ![]() The internet has made it a thousand times worse. I’ll start one thing and quickly move on to another, and before you know it, I’ll have dozens of half-written essays and a house with just as many works-in-progress. I write like I clean my house–in fits and bits. It may not be an official diagnosis, but WebMD has me wondering: Could I have adult onset ADHD? They say if you find it hard to:
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |