Tag: “Focus”

We live in an era where constant activity has become the visible symbol of productivity. Responding to emails at 11 p.m., being available on multiple communication channels, attending back-to-back meetings, and keeping dozens of projects going simultaneously is perceived as the mark of a committed and productive professional. However, Cal Newport claims (and I quite agree) in his book Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout that this culture of perpetual busyness is precisely what is destroying our ability to produce truly valuable work.

Each new year arrives loaded with resolutions. Learn a new language, exercise more, read more books, develop a personal project… The list grows and grows, fueled by the excitement of becoming better versions of ourselves. But there’s a problem: our attention span and energy are limited, and as we continue to add commitments to our lives, we rarely stop to ask ourselves what we should eliminate.

The Pomodoro Technique is a simple but effective time management method created by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. The method divides your work into short intervals of intense concentration, traditionally 25 minutes, separated by short breaks. Each work interval is called a “pomodoro” (Italian for tomato, a term inspired by a tomato-shaped kitchen timer that Cirillo used as a student).

The main purpose of setting digital boundaries is to restore control over our attention and energy in a hyperconnected world. It involves consciously defining when, how, and for how long we interact with technology, so that it serves our goals rather than becoming a constant source of distraction and interruption.

Time blocking is a time management technique that involves dividing your day into specific blocks of time dedicated to specific types of activities. Time blocking allows you to be proactive: you decide in advance when you’re going to do each thing and for how long.