Howdy, 

As I’ve mentioned before, Minute7 is not a productivity app. But having access to data that shows you how you work and take breaks can help you improve it as a positive side effect. 

I spend way more time than I’d like to admit checking my phone. It’s my way of connecting with others while working, resting, or eating. 

But I noticed that it had become a habit. Even when I knew I had nothing new to check, I’d still grab my phone to see if someone had texted me. And it didn’t matter if I had gotten a text or not. I’d still end up unlocking it and checking a random social media for ten minutes or more. Many times a day.

So if you’re anything like me, you know those distractions can truly affect productivity. Here’s what I did to fix it.

For starters, I needed to be far away from my phone (your distractor can be anything else, but make sure you put ir far away). I started leaving it in another room and started using the Pomodoro technique. 

What’s the Pomodoro technique?

Is a productivity technique created by Francesco Cirillo as a way of finding a more efficient way of working and studying. 

The idea is to use a timer and work on twenty five minute long intervals and take short breaks in between. Each interval is called a “Pomodoro.”

The breaks can last from five to fifteen minutes. 

How to start using this technique? 

• List the tasks you want to work on throughout the day. 
• Assign an estimated amount of pomodoros (1 = 25 min of work) to each task. (For example, writing this blog post will take me around two pomodoros)
• Choose a task to work on first.
• Start the clock and focus on that task for the next 25 minutes. 
• Once the time’s up, stop and take a 5-minute break (use a timer for this).
• Do it until you finish the tasks. 

How to use Minute7 to keep track of pomodoros?

• Login to your Minute7 account. 
• Click on “start timer.”
• Fill out the required information (employee, customer & job, service, and class)
• Write a description of what you’ll be working on. 
• Set an alarm on your phone for 25 minutes and start the timer. 
• Stop the timer every 25 minutes and use your phone to set an alarm for the breaks. 
• Review your data at the end of the week by scrolling down on the timesheets tab and choosing the week you want to view. 

How to stay motivated?

Don't expect yourself to be perfect right away. You might need a few days or weeks to get the hang of this, and it's okay if you cannot follow the technique to the tea. You'll get there. 

Make sure you’re methodic in the starting and stopping the timer, that’s what will help you review your data properly. 

This technique is a way of gamifying the way you work, and if you’re competitive like me, you’ll end up wanting to beat your own personal record. 

Let me know how it goes if you test it out!