[peruvian]

Agree but pomodoro is a good way to get into DW. The truth is most of us are actually not able to focus on a single task for an hour or two. There’s such a thing as an attention muscle. Pomodoro helps with that by starting at 25 mins with a break.

[dbcurtis]

Hmmmm... OK, but it also interrupts you at the end of 25 minutes.

Maybe look for a venue with fewer distractions? For me, a workspace that has only the relevant work materials and sufficient space to work is a great way to get into flow.

My personal failing is not getting to nearly all the reading that I want to accomplish. The best thing I have found to get through a lot of reading is a coast-to-coast flight with only a Kindle in my carry-on.

[jfim]

I've found that the better way to do the Pomodoro technique is to use a physical hourglass (one that has sand in it).

If you find yourself wandering, look at the hourglass and see if it still has sand in the upper chamber. If so, go back to work, if not, you were focused enough on your work for enough time not to notice the time running out.

[muzani]

Pomodoro does the opposite effect for me. Very often a task needs 20 minutes or 35 minutes. It jerks me out of flow by sticking to a forced 25 minute schedule.

There are some boring, tedious work like writing documentation and tests, where the Pomodoro Technique works well. But not for truly deep work.

[just4sky]

25 minutes interval is recommended but you always can change the interval to longer to suit yourself.

[just4sky]

Exactly! And a cup of coffee is my trigger!