I think this is based on an incorrect model of what the Pomodoro technique is for, and where its benefits come from. I think most people don’t actually have a model of that, they just empirically observe that things go better when they use it than when they don’t. So here’s my attempt to model what the Pomodoro technique does that’s good.
Pomodoro breaks act as a stop-loss function on getting stuck or sidetracked, on things that are going to take much longer than expected, etc. The “break” is an opportunity to do metacognition.
Pomodoros create a steady supply of minor deadlines to work towards.
“Work for one pomodoro on X” tends to be less intimidating than “do X”, which makes some tasks easier to get started on.
When working in a group, synchronized timed breaks allow for a social aspect with less risk of allowing the socializing to overrun the actual work.
I don’t think third-time really substitutes for any of this. None of these fit into a depletion-and-recovery model; for me, that’s not what the breaks are actually for.
Re the first point, my understanding was you do this in any leftover time of a pomodoro after finishing a task or subtask. (Thinking about work doesn’t make for a good rest, which ‘should’ be what breaks are for; or maybe people who do this use the longer breaks to rest properly instead.)
I agree re the second point, which I had taken to be one of the key benefits.
Also re the third, though there are other ways to deal with that (e.g. break down tasks recursively into subtasks). [ADDED:] Come to think of it, this is explicitly why Mark Forster’s system starts with 5 mins and increases from there—as you have no excuse not to do 5 minutes work on something.
I’d slightly heard of the fourth though don’t know how much Pomodoro is used in groups like that; solo work seems to be the standard usage.
Re the relationship to Third Time, if these are substantial benefits you can still get them with it as it doesn’t prevent you working in fixed stints most of the time if that helps—but you can override them when necessary (ignore the alarm etc.) Similarly you could take 5 minute breaks usually and save up the rest, just less strictly than Pomodoro. The best of both worlds
I think this is based on an incorrect model of what the Pomodoro technique is for, and where its benefits come from. I think most people don’t actually have a model of that, they just empirically observe that things go better when they use it than when they don’t. So here’s my attempt to model what the Pomodoro technique does that’s good.
Pomodoro breaks act as a stop-loss function on getting stuck or sidetracked, on things that are going to take much longer than expected, etc. The “break” is an opportunity to do metacognition.
Pomodoros create a steady supply of minor deadlines to work towards.
“Work for one pomodoro on X” tends to be less intimidating than “do X”, which makes some tasks easier to get started on.
When working in a group, synchronized timed breaks allow for a social aspect with less risk of allowing the socializing to overrun the actual work.
I don’t think third-time really substitutes for any of this. None of these fit into a depletion-and-recovery model; for me, that’s not what the breaks are actually for.
Interesting—thanks for this.
Re the first point, my understanding was you do this in any leftover time of a pomodoro after finishing a task or subtask. (Thinking about work doesn’t make for a good rest, which ‘should’ be what breaks are for; or maybe people who do this use the longer breaks to rest properly instead.)
I agree re the second point, which I had taken to be one of the key benefits.
Also re the third, though there are other ways to deal with that (e.g. break down tasks recursively into subtasks). [ADDED:] Come to think of it, this is explicitly why Mark Forster’s system starts with 5 mins and increases from there—as you have no excuse not to do 5 minutes work on something.
I’d slightly heard of the fourth though don’t know how much Pomodoro is used in groups like that; solo work seems to be the standard usage.
Re the relationship to Third Time, if these are substantial benefits you can still get them with it as it doesn’t prevent you working in fixed stints most of the time if that helps—but you can override them when necessary (ignore the alarm etc.) Similarly you could take 5 minute breaks usually and save up the rest, just less strictly than Pomodoro. The best of both worlds
OK I’ve incorporated some of this in the post, and will say more in my next post about some subtler issues arising.