Pomodoro Technique Illustrated

The Tomato-Shaped Timer

Francesco Cirillo defined the Pomodoro Technique in 1992, but it all started in the late 1980s, during his first years at college. The breakthrough came out of frustration over his low productivity and unstructured studying—thanks to a red, round object that made a ringing noise:

“I made a bet with myself, and it was as helpful as it was humiliating. I asked myself, ‘Can I study—really study—for 10 minutes?’ I needed objective validation—a time tutor—and I found one in a kitchen timer shaped like a pomodoro (the Italian word for “tomato”). In other words, I found my Pomodoro.”^[1]

With the Pomodoro Technique, you can make ...