In 1978, 5% of the population admitted to being chronic procrastinators compared to to roughly 26% of the population today (Steele, 2007).

Surveys of student populations suggest that procrastination is pervasive with some surveys suggesting that 85-95% of students have problems associated with procrastination.

- Quoted from here

Pomodoro?

I’ve been a fan of the Pomodoro style technique for quite a while now. It all started with productivity guru Merlin Mann’s very interesting post. He’s outlined the ‘(10+2)*5′ technique where you work in ten minute bursts, have a two minute break, repeat. You’ll need this technique if you:

• are a procrastinator. Thats 26% of you officially, or 85%-90% of students. Cited here.
• are an Internet addict when your job involves something totally different.
• long list of short tasks
• short attention span
• most of my friends

Pomodoro is a technique thats similar, but with 25 minute uninterrupted work periods, followed by a 5 minute break. It was invented by Francisco Cirillo way back in 1992, and you can read more about it at this very nice looking official website. The technique involves the use of a timer to keep track of your work periods and breaks. The official method suggests a pencil, paper and traditional Pomodoro kitchen timer. Not something you’d want to be using when working on your laptops. I’ve outlined a list of software in Windows and Ubuntu to help you do this. The Air apps will work in Mac too.

Rules

• You don’t need to complete your task within the work period.
• Breaks are compulsary!
• Continue where you left off after the break.
• A break can be anything that you are not working on, preferably something thats going to divert your attention, like your favourite sports website, or a walk around the house.

Software

So far, I’ve found the following software that enables me to do this.

Pomodairo (Adobe Air application – cross platform)

Pomodairo

The most feature-rich of the lot, and its open source. It not only is a Pomodoro timer, it’s a task list, where you can add your tasks, set the estimated time, add unplanned tasks, add interruptions, mark them done, view statistical reports, and even store the database in a folder where you can share it across platforms. Nifty. I use Tasque as my Task Manager, and therefore won’t be using Pomodairo for its extra features. But, if anyone’s up for a nice looking program that does all of the above, give this one a good look. And it looks great too, with standard and compact views.

Focusbooster (Adobe Air application – cross platform)

Focus Booster

This minimal app is the best looking of the lot. Does what it says on the box, and has a calming ‘tick’ sound that I really dig. Its just a timer, but with configurable work and break intervals, so you could alter the Pomodoro technique to suit your work. They even have an online browser based version.

Pomodoro me! (Linux)

Pomodoro Me! on Linux/Ubuntu

Developed in GAMBAS2, this isn’t a full featured app, but it strictly follows the Pomodoro technique by being a simple timer. There’s progress bar, and thats about it. Use this if you want an ultra simple app and are not worried about its looks. Various Linux packages are available for download.

Pomodoro Timer (Java based, Cross platform, but can’t set break interval)

Pomodoro Timer (Java based)

Bare bones, but if you’re looking for something cross-platform that you could run off your portable drive, its a good bet. Intervals cannot be modified.

Procrastination Killer (Windows, runs fine under WINE)

This piece of software was the one that started it all from me. Its simple, lightweight and was so minimal that I was just using it regardless of the bugs. But its in version 1 now, so its probably more bug free. The intervals can be customized to your liking. I wouldn’t to run a WINE app for something so trivial though.

Pomodoro Timer Clock (Vista/7 Gadget)

If you’re still using Vista/7 widgets(why??), here’s a gadget you could add to your collection.

Keep Focused (Windows)

"Keep Focused" on Windows

Keep Focused runs on Windows, and has one feature that you might feel is useful. You can log the task you are about to do for each session, and your work log will be saved to a text file. Simple, yet effective. I see it as an alternative to task list haters.

There are countless other apps that lets you use the Pomodoro technique to great effect while you’re crunching away at the keyboard. Let me know in the comments if I’ve missed anything. Lets get to work!