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*1352623829*Introduction to Pomodoro Technique: leverage memo
After reading "<a href="http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/4839924023/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=247&creative=7399&creativeASIN=4839924023& linkCode=as2&tag=nishiohirokaz-22">Agile Estimating and Planning</a>" and then read "<a href="http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/4048689525/ref=as_li_ss_ tl?ie=UTF8&camp=247&creative=7399&creativeASIN=4048689525&linkCode=as2&tag=nishiohirokaz-22">Agile Time Management: An Introduction to the Pomodoro Technique</a>" and then re-read the book. I found a lot of new things, so I made a new leverage memo.
After chapter 4, it was not very interesting to re-read the book, so I omitted it.
** Preface
Initially, I thought I could do about 12 pomodoros a day, but realistically, 8 pomodoros was the most I could do.
Scrum and XP measure "how much work is completed per iteration" (velocity). Pomodoro measures "the number of Pomodoro completed" (= the number of consecutive 25 minutes of concentration) in a day. Pomodoro is a "focus on focusing" methodology.
** Chapter 1: One Activity at a Time
Can't do more than one thing at a time.
If you don't finish your scheduled task in 25 minutes, that's not a failure. The sound of the timer is a round of applause for your 25 minutes of concentration.
Complexity reduces motivation. Even if a task is complex, you can work on it for 25 minutes and gain some insight. Instead of worrying about it before starting, you can work on it for 25 minutes, then take a break, and then think about what to do next.
It is also less motivating when the task is boring. Think of it as a game to increase the speed at which you complete tasks.
It is important to maintain a high level of productivity. You cannot run long distances without a sustainable pace.
Perfectionism is an excuse not to act. There is no way you can make something 100% perfect from the start. It is wrong when you are trying to make that your goal. The first step is to practice the "action" of executing for 25 minutes.
** Chapter 2
Why does procrastination happen? The feeling of being made to do something by others. Pressure to be perfect. Fear of failure or criticism.
Postponement temporarily relieves these stresses. Because this becomes a mental reward, the behavior of "putting off" is reinforced. But this is just borrowing peace of mind from the future in advance. The more you borrow, the more interest you pay and the more you suffer.
Stress comes from within you.
The other day <a href='http://d.hatena.ne.jp/nishiohirokazu/20121110/1352558205'>"I'm not confident" is a story that also involves too much confidence</a>.
** Chapter 3
When you write items on the activity inventory sheet, you do not write what needs to be done (like a so-called TODO list), but what the state will be when the work is completed. In other words, in terms of "agile estimation," you are not writing tasks, but rather the value (user story) that will be given to the user by doing the tasks.
A too long TODO list is meaningless. Forget about the cost of selecting the appropriate ones from it.
Instead of vague thoughts like, "This project is big and important," take concrete action, "Start with small steps first."
A long, day-long TODO list does not give you a "sense of accomplishment" if you work hard for a day and a few of those lines are gone. It does not provide a mental reward. Choosing "to do today" at the beginning of the day increases the sense of accomplishment when completed.
Voluntary commitment enhances achievement.
Keep your goals close and clear, and be productive with deadlines that you voluntarily set. Deadlines are often set by others, not by oneself, and are not always set at convenient times. Nevertheless, many people feel that they are more focused and productive when they are on deadline. So why not make that effect happen every day?
Imagine a virtual "Now List". This is a TODO list where only one item can be written. I guess this is the equivalent of me writing only one task on a sticky note. It's very comfortable when there is only one sticky, and confusing when there are more. I should make it invisible once I have more than one, except for "Top Priority".
The best break is a five-minute nap.
What do you do if you finish the work in the middle of the 25 minutes? The book mentions "review what you've done," "repeat what you've learned," "think about whether you can improve your work," "jot down your conclusions on paper," etc. I'm not sure. 3 minutes or so seems doable, but the reality is that if you have 15 minutes to finish what you need to finish, you are perplexed about what to do and I can't have a productive time. In this case, I think it would be better to mark the pomodoro as a failure, even if it is "finished too early due to an estimation error".
What you track depends on what you want to know.
** Length of breaks
After writing this entry, I googled what others have written about Pomodoro and found that there seems to be a widespread misconception that "the rest period is five minutes," so I will quote from "Length of rest period" on p. 152.
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Should breaks be time-boxed as well? Will it prevent a long, unscheduled break? The answer is no. The answer is no, because by the time you start your next pomodoro, you must be mentally ready.
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Before you become consumed with the practice of setting a "five-minute" break and starting the next task even if you are not ready when the time comes, ask yourself whether this will allow you to "stay productive" at a "sustainable pace. As noted at the beginning of this article, "8 pomodoros a day at most is realistic.
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This is a leveraged memo, so not all of what is written here is in the Pomodoro book, but some of it is what my brain has pulled out as relevant information from reading it. The peace of mind and that stress is something you create are things that are found in early Buddhism (<a href="http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/4093881065/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=247&creative= 7399&creativeASIN=4093881065&linkCode=as2&tag=nishiohirokaz-22">practice of not thinking</a>), and the reinforcement of the behavior of procrastination is from behavior analysis (<a href="http://www.amazon. co.jp/gp/product/4861080150/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=247&creative=7399&creativeASIN=4861080150&linkCode=as2&tag=nishiohirokaz- 22">Applied Behavior Analysis for Beginners Japanese Edition</a> is a good textbook, but if you want something easier <a href="http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/494655307X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp= 247&creative=7399&creativeASIN=494655307X&linkCode=as2&tag=nishiohirokaz-22">Performance Management - Behavior Analysis for Problem Solving</a> is recommended).
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Hatena Diary 2012-11-11
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