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(And get twice as much done)

LEARN HOW TO PAINLESSLY GET 40 HOURS OF

WORK DONE IN JUST 16.7!

This simple system that will help you regain control of your time... and your life.

How to Save

C H R I S W I N F I E L D

http://www.chriswinfield.com/


Legal Notice:

© 2015 Chris Winfield. All Rights Reserved.

By reading this e-book, you agree to the following terms and conditions.

Under no circumstances should this e-book be sold, copied, or reproduced in any way except when you have received written permission.

As with any business, your results may vary and will be based on your background, dedication, desire, and motivation. Any testimonials and examples used are exceptional results, which do not apply to the average purchaser and are not intended to represent or guarantee that anyone will achieve the same or similar results. You may also experience unknown or unforeseeable risks which can reduce results. The authors are not responsible for your actions.

The material contained in this report is strictly confidential.

Intro: We Only Get One Life... 4

Total Focus: Do You Have It? Do You Need It? 6

The Pomodoro Technique: An Overview 8

The Pomodoro Technique: The Details 9

Pomodoro Tracking Sheet (Example) 11

Pomodoro Tracking Sheet (Print-Out) 12

Why It Works: Support for the System 13

The Beauty of 8 Pomodoros Each Day 15

Getting Organized: Where to Start 17

Tips and Hacks 19

Tools & Apps 21

Maximizing your Workday: Check Your Energy 23

Energy Inventory Worksheet 25

Putting it all Together: Making It Work for YOU! 26

It’s Go Time! 29



A few years back, a nurse recorded the most common regrets of people dying and put her findings into a book called “The Top Five Regrets of The Dying.” Guess what was the second biggest regret they had?

I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.

“This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret, but as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.”1

So many of us fill our days with things that won’t be remembered in the long run. We wear the hours we work as some sort of badge of honor. Yet ironically, we always feel guilty when we wear that badge, knowing that many times it came at the expense of something more fulfilling.



There has to be a better way to live. One that will allow us to be both productive AND fulfilled. The good news is…there is! The even better news is that you can start TODAY.

In this guide, you’ll learn step-by-step how to cut your work-day by more than 50%. Today you can start to spend more time with the people who matter most to you, doing the things you love to do.



Do You Have It? Do You Need It?

Here’s the thing, we often think we are more focused on a task than we truly are.

Consider your level of focus on this guide right now. Think you’re completely focused on it? Take a quick inventory... Do you have your email and browser open? Have you glanced at your phone? Have you gotten up to get a snack? Are you aware of conversations happening around you? True and complete focus in our world of every increasing distractions is increasingly rare.

Often, you may be distracted without even realizing it, giving into these distractions out of habit. Distractions inhibit your ability to totally immerse yourself in a subject, and reach a state of flow. When you reach a state of flow, you are able to easily learn and discover new things. You are more productive, and your work truly reflects the best of your abilities.



The Pomodoro Technique is designed to help you take back your focus, thereby better utilizing your mind. This technique is useful for a wide variety of tasks: writing, preparing presentations, drafting technical reports, studying, managing events, and other major projects. Ready to start achieving more in less time? Let’s get started!

This technique is useful for a wide variety of tasks: writing, preparing presentations, drafting technical

reports, studying, managing events, and other major projects.



An Overview

Created by Francesco Cirillio, the Pomodoro Technique2 is a deceptively simple to learn yet extremely powerful time management system. There are 4 basic principles behind the technique:

1. Work with time, not against it: Many of us live as if time is our enemy, always racing against the clock. The Pomodoro Technique teaches us to work with time, instead of struggling against it.

2. Eliminate burnout: Taking short, scheduled breaks while working eliminates the “running on fumes” feeling you get when you push yourself too hard.

3. Manage distractions: The Pomodoro Technique helps you log your distractions, and prioritize them for later.

4. Create a better work/life balance: Most of us are far too intimately acquainted with the guilt that comes from procrastination. As a Pomodoro Master, you create an effective timetable and achieve your high-priority tasks, so you truly enjoy your time off.



The Details

Here’s what separates the Pomodoro Technique from so many other time management strategies. Where others generally leave it at those four fundamental yet vague principles, the Pomodoro technique tell you exactly what to do. Best part, it’s simple!

1. Choose a task: Select one task and one task only. For many of you multi-taskers, this may feel like a step backward in productivity. But after a while, you’ll find you are much more efficient when you give all your focus to one task.

2. Set a timer for 25 minutes: Yes, just 25 minutes. Don’t worry about whether or not the task can be completed in that time. Just get as far as you can.

3. Work on your task until the timer rings. Then put a checkmark on a tracker: Remember, that’s 25 minutes of steady, focused work on ONE task. No emails. No phone calls. No checking Facebook. No distractions allowed!



4. Take a 5 minute break: You just completed your first Pomodoro! Go ahead, update your Facebook status. Send that email. Get up and stretch. Keep break activities simple. Save your mental energy for your Pomodoros.

Repeat steps 1-4 three more times, followed by a 15-minute break.

(On the next page, I will show you how this looks in action and then give you your own sheet to work with.)



(Example)Date: 05/07/2015

Pomodoros available today: 8

Task: Number of Pomodoros:

Draft client action plan x x

Email campaign x

Write article draft x x x

eBook chapter x x

Blog post

Notes and reflections:

• Action plan ready to be discussed- reach out to client.

• Check email campaign stats tomorrow. • Completed first draft of article,

proof tomorrow. • “Plan in Action” chapter complete• Did not get to blog post, put on high

priority tomorrow!



Date: Pomodoros available today: ___

Task: Number of Pomodoros:

Notes and reflections:



Support for the System

You will probably begin to notice a difference in your work within the first day (sometimes it’s almost an immediate thing). True mastery of the technique takes from seven to twenty days of constant use.

The Pomodoro Technique can also help you plow through your to-do list faster because of the strict timing. Knowing your time limit is drawing to a close can help you wrap up your current task quicker. Timing your projects makes you more accountable for your tasks and also reduces procrastination. Other points to consider:

• Deadlines work. They keep you from getting too distracted.

• Short bursts of work have been found to maximize attention and mental activity. Knowing there is an end in sight also helps keep procrastination at bay.



• Periodic resting enhances quality of your work. It allows your brain to integrate and get ready to move on to the next task.

One proponent of the Pomodoro Technique is Sue Shellenbarger of the Wall Street Journal. Speaking of the technique, she said, “It eased my anxiety over the passing of time and also made me more efficient; refreshed by breaks, for example, I halved the total time required to fact-check a column.”



Here’s the math broken down for you:

• 8 Pomodoros x 5 days per week = 40 per week

• 40 Pomodoros per week = 1,000 work minutes

• 1,000 work minutes = 16.7 hours

So why 8 Pomodoros per day? Why not just stuff the day full of Pomodoros? First, it can be extremely exhausting to exhibit that kind of focus all day long.

But more importantly, there is actually some benefit to allowing the mind to wander. Open awareness enables creativity, helps you imagine future scenarios, and focus on self-reflection. It allows you to gain insights that you might not otherwise realize if you are constantly in a state of goal-oriented attention.



Most importantly, the whole purpose of utilizing this technique is to help you achieve a better work/life balance. Cramming your day with 20 Pomodoros will certainly get things done (assuming all 20 are true, highly focused Pomodoros) but it won’t allow you to have more time with family, focus on a passion project, or pursue any leisure activities. In short, it defeats the purpose of having those extra 23.3 hours.

As with any skill, gaining true focus takes practice. Start small, with just 1 Pomodoro per day, and work your way up. Like a muscle, the more you practice, the stronger your focus will get.



Where to Start

A long to-do list may make you feel tempted to throw down the pen, change into your sweats, grab a pint of ice cream, and bag the whole thing.

Instead of thinking you need to do 100 things, think of only having to do one thing: your Pomodoro. So how do you prioritize and organize your Pomodoros? Here’s one way:

Using a spreadsheet, create a table with the following columns:

• Future (place everything on your to-do list here)• Later This Week (place 25-40 things you plan to do

this week)• Today (pull 2-8 things you intend to do today from

the Later This Week column into this one.)• Doing Now (pull into this column the one thing-

your Pomodoro- that you’re working on right now)• Delegated (this is especially useful if you have

team members or an assistant you’ve assigned tasks to)

• Done (when you pull a task here, you can pull a new one from Today to Doing Now)



Organizing your list in this way will help you visualize exactly where you are, where your team is, and where you are going with your tasks.

I use a simple (free) online program called KanbanFlow to accomplish this:

https://kanbanflow.com/


https://kanbanflow.com/


Although 16.7 hours of work per week sounds great, if you are like most people, you’ll probably find there’s an adjustment period to the system. Here are some tips and tricks to make that adjustment easier:

1. Use an actual timer. Don’t waste your time and lose your flow by glancing up at the clock every few minutes.

2. Set your phone to airplane mode. This will help eliminate the temptation we all have to check our phones every few minutes.



3. Find a quiet place to work and/or use headphones/earplugs. Be sure to let everyone who many interrupt you (co-workers, assistants, family members if you work at home, etc.) know that you are not to be interrupted during this time.

4. Have a pen and paper nearby. This will help you track your Pomodoros. Bonus: Pomodoro tracking sheet included with this guide!

5. Set aside 5 minutes in the morning. Use this time to identify your tasks.

6. Set aside 30 minutes at the end of each week. Review your tracking sheets and plan for the next week.

Set aside 5 minutes in the morning. Use this time to identify your tasks.



• Marinara Timer (Web): You can keep this web app open in one of your tabs. It’s very flexible and doesn’t require any downloads.

• Tomighty (Win/Mac/Linux): This is a desktop timer you can simply start and get going, following the traditional Pomodoro Technique. Or you can customize the timing to suit your needs.

• Eggsellent (OSX): With an innovative visual timer and deep integration with OS X Mountain Lion Reminders, Things, and OmniFocus, Eggscellent™ helps you focus on balancing your time and tasks with the most beautiful time management application for your desktop.

• Focus Timer (iOS): Use this with your iPhone or iPad. Customize your work and break times, review your progress to see how your focus is improving, easily see how much time is left on the timer, and even customize the sounds.

• ClockWork Tomato (Android): A simple and elegant time management app, based on the Pomodoro technique.


http://www.marinaratimer.com/

http://www.tomighty.org/

http://www.eggscellentapp.com/

http://focustimeapp.com/

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.phlam.android.clockworktomato&hl=en


Check Your Energy

In a perfect world, you’d have eight high-value tasks identified at the start of each workday. You’d prioritize these, and knock them off one by one, from most important to least. You’d be equally enthusiastic and motivated about each one, you would never be interrupted, and you’d finish your day’s work in less than three hours. Unfortunately, as you already know, we don’t live in a perfect world :)

The reality is that you’re a human being, living in a world full of other humans. To make this work long-term, it’s important to understand how things like energy level and attitude affect your work output. Having a positive outlook will boost your motivation.

That is why it is so important to take inventory of how you are feeling in the present moment. Try thinking about/asking yourself the following questions before you begin working:



Physical energy How healthy am I?Emotional energy How happy am I?Mental energy How well can I focus on something?Spiritual energy Why am I doing this? What is my purpose?

Addressing any area where you feel your energy is low will enable you to begin your Pomodoros with vigor and energy. Remember, you are switching from high quantity work time to a high quality work time. Take the time to set yourself up for success.

You can use the following Energy Inventory sheet to help.



On a scale from 1-5 (1 being very little energy; 5 being highly energized), assess your level of energy for each of the following: (Circle the corresponding number)

Physical energy 1 2 3 4 5Emotional energy 1 2 3 4 5Mental energy 1 2 3 4 5

Spiritual energy 1 2 3 4 5

Area(s) needing attention: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Ideas for rejuvenation: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Post Assessment (after completing rejuvenation activity):

Physical energy 1 2 3 4 5Emotional energy 1 2 3 4 5Mental energy 1 2 3 4 5

Spiritual energy 1 2 3 4 5



Making This System Work for YOU

There may be days where 5:00pm rolls around, and you haven’t finished your 8 Pomodoros. Rather than stress yourself out about it, think about why you are limiting yourself to a Monday-Friday, 9-5 workweek.

Instead, consider working when it suits you. You may find that putting in a set of Pomodoros on a Saturday afternoon doesn’t seem so bad when you were finally able to watch your son’s entire football game the night before. Adjust your thinking from having 40-45 hours available to complete your 40 Pomodoros, to having 168 hours each week. Since you will only need 16.7 hours, you will only be working 10% of your time!

You’re probably thinking, “I work more than that in two days, and you’re trying to tell me that’s all I need to work in an entire week?” The simple answer is- YES! (and no). You’ll probably still “work” more than 16.7 hours a week.

You‘ll spend additional hours on calls, meetings, networking (on and offline), and other less-focused



tasks. These are important, but probably aren’t the heart of your work. You’ll find that in your 16.7 hours each week that you get about five times more done in those few hours than in the other 25+ hours.

There’s no avoiding it, life happens. As long as humans are involved, and especially if you live in modern society with its 24/7 connectedness, it’s next to impossible to have a perfect working environment. However, you can work smarter without having to work harder.

You’ll find that in your 16.7 hours each week that you get about five

times more done in those few hours than in the other 25+ hours.



Pomodoros....You know what they are. You know why they are important. You know how to do them. You have to tools to make them work. Now it’s time for action.

Let’s review your plan of action:

1. Take inventory of your energy. 2. Formulate a to-do list. 3. Organize that list, selecting the Pomodoros

for the day.4. Pomodoro time! 5. Reflect on your what you accomplished that

day and what needs to get done tomorrow.

As was said in the beginning, this is something you can start implementing today. Today you can regain control of your time and your life.

Will it take effort? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely.

C L I C K H E R E T O V I S I T

C H R I S W I N F I E L D . C O M

FOR MORE GREAT RESOURCES




(Endnotes)

1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/03/top-5-regrets-of-the-dying_n_3640593.html

2. http://caps.ucsd.edu/Downloads/tx_forms/koch/pomodoro_handouts/ThePomodoroTechnique_v1-3.pdf


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