My Gamified Pomodoro Technique
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Introduction
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The [Pomodoro Technique](
https://francescocirillo.com/pages/pomodoro-technique) is a productivity technique based on working in 25-minute chunks. I have modified it slightly to make the chunks shorter and more variable. This adds some element of chance and luck, and I find I can better manage shorter working chunks.
Timer
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Since I am a software engineer, my setup is computer-centric. In particular, I use Linux with Xfce, but the basic technique is portable to a wide variety of technologies.
I use the Xfce timer widget set up to play a buzzer when the timer finishes. I recommend using mplayer to play a short buzzer, such as is found at [
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66ZMU4eJ1s0]. You can set up a default action, relieving you of the requirement to specify the buzzer for each timer, which will prove a handy timersaver.
Tools
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1. Deck of cards with two jokers.
2. Timer
Technique
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At the start of the day or other work period (e.g. before and after lunch), shuffle the deck thoroughly.
When you are ready to start a Pomodoro, turn over the top two cards. Aces count as eleven, face cards as ten, and other cards their pip value. Sum the two values; this is the length of the Pomodoro in minutes. Start the timer and then start working. The Xfce timer widget lets you have a menu of different timer lengths, which is convenient since you can have a multitude of Pomodoro lengths.
Jokers are "clone cards"; they duplicate the value of the other card in the two you turned over. In the unlikely event the two cards you turn over are both jokers, then turn over a third card; your Pomodoro length will be three time the value of the third card.
When you are ready to start your next Pomodoro, turn over the next two cards **without** shuffling the face-up cards into the deck. In this way, you have a log of how many Pomodoros you have worked and how long they were.
