Organizing with Cloud Nine Organizing

How To Use A

TOMATO TIMER

To Get

ORGANIZED by Crystal Nerpel, Owner of Cloud Nine Organizing

Have you heard of the Pomodoro Technique® Pomo-what? Pomodoro is Italian for tomato. The Pomodoro Technique® is centered around the idea of using a tomato timer to get things done. What does that have to do with organizing, you ask? It’s all about efficiency. It’s a time management technique that was credited by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s.

I have tested this technique out many times and find it to be super motivating. There’s something about getting as much done as possible before that timer sounds. Using a timer is a simple yet effective method you can use to stay on track while working on any big organizing project.

The key is to stay within a couple parameters so that you stay on track. First of all, set the timer for no more than 15-25 minutes. Second, you have to STOP at the end of the timer. So simple!

The genius part: you require yourself to take a short break (about 15-20

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minutes) after the timer goes off. You cannot do anything related to the organizing project during the break. Try not to even think about the organizing project.

Shift your mind to a relaxed state by drinking a cup of tea, doing a few yoga moves, take a shower, walk around the block, or anything else relaxing and nonstrenuous. These breaks will help you tackle the rest of your project with a new, fresh perspective.

After your break, you can set the timer for another 15-25 minutes and get back to organizing. The short bursts of work with systematic breaks keep you from burning out too quickly. Less burn-out means you’ll be more likely to finish your project in a timely manner (see what I did there?)

I don’t suggest doing more than 4 timed-sessions in a day. If you do more than 4 sessions Cirillo recommends that you take longer breaks in between each timed-session.

Remember, organizing is never a do or die situation. If you don’t get your organizing project done in one day that’s perfectly fine. You can declutter, destress and simplify your life by using short, manageable bursts of time. Set reasonable goals for yourself and set a timer.