Tag Archives: Effective

The Pomodoro Technique

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Image Credit: Madhuri Gupta

I have been using the Pomodoro Technique for many years and I find it keeps me focused, on track, organised and helps me to get things done efficiently and effectively.  

So what is The Pomodoro technique and how does it work?

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s to help utilise time more effectively. Work is broken down into intervals usually 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks.

Each interval is known as a ‘pomodoro’ (Italian word for ‘tomato’) named after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that Cirillo used when he discovered the method.

For anyone who tends to procrastinate (which is more than likely most of us at some time) this is an excellent technique as it gives structure and urgency to tasks.

Below are a list of benefits from using the Pomodoro Technique,

  • Makes your work more organised and supports better planning of tasks as you need to plan out your work one pomodoro at a time
  • Gives urgency to tasks as you are very much aware of the amount of time you have to get tasks done
  • Ensures you take sufficient breaks – it is suggested to take short breaks (not exactly coffee breaks!) in between each pomodoro and a longer break at the end of 4 pomodoros – you can decide what timings work best for you
  • Increases focus and concentration by reducing interruptions – it’s best to turn off all distractions during pomodoros (e-mails/social media/phone etc) 
  • Increases focus as the more you use pomodoros, the more you will realise how long it takes to get tasks done (we tend to underestimate how long it takes to get tasks done)
  • Increases focus as usually one pomodoro is used for one task which naturally helps us to prioritise
  • Increases motivation – we are motivated by getting things done and the Pomodoro Technique certainly supports getting things done
  • The more you use it, the more you will evolve and change it to suit your own working style

There are many apps and websites available that support the Pomodoro Technique, I use Pomodoro Tracker which is really easy to use.

Do you think the Pomodoro Technique could help you get more tasks done effectively and efficiently? 

Do you use the Pomodoro Technique? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.

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Thanks for reading,

Siobhain 

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How To Free Up Your Time Using Online Outsourcing

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Image Credit: Madhuri Gupta

My blog post on the time management tool ‘The Priority Matrix’ explains that in order to use your time more effectively and make more progress towards your vision and goals you will need to delegate.

There are many reasons to delegate –  it will free up your time to do more of what you want in life and business, you will make more and faster progress towards your goals and among many other benefits you will get access to the skills and talents of those who you delegate to.

Whether you are running a full-time business, a hustle on the side or building a brand there is always so much to do and one person cannot do everything.

I outsource as much as I can which frees up my time to write, research, create content and focus on what I need to focus on.

There are many websites offering outsourcing and judging by the expertise available you can outsource just about anything – Administration, Graphic Design, SEO, Web Development, Blog Editing, Podcast Editing etc, the list goes on and on.

My website of choice is Upwork.

Upwork is a user friendly, highly efficient website that makes the process of hiring and working with freelancers from all over the world so quick and simple.

To find suitable freelancers to work with through Upwork you will require the following

 

 

  • An e-mail account – this takes 5 minutes to set up on any of the free platforms

 

  • A method of payment – Upwork accepts Visa or Paypal – Paypal takes about 5 mins to set up

 

  • Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) – these are documents outlining the step by step tasks required that your freelancer can easily follow. The more detailed the SOP the more efficient the process will be – I use Google Docs to create SOPs as it is a dream to use and is easily sharable

 

  • An online sharing platform – this allows you to share your files/images/documents with your freelancer. My favourite online sharing platform is DropBox which takes 5 minutes to set up. I also use Google Drive which is very handy and is free with a gmail email account. 

 

All of the above are ABSOLUTELY FREE and are sufficient to get you on the road to hiring your first freelancer!!

When you have all of the above in place, you are ready to hire your first freelancer. Upwork’s hiring process is really simple and goes something like this

 

  • Create your job description on Upwork – the more specific you are when creating your job description, the more streamlined the hiring process will be

 

  • Post your job on Upwork – fabulous freelancers will then apply for it 

 

  • Review the applicants – for me this is the most challenging part of the process as there are so many talented people available through Upwork

 

  • Connect with/interview shortlisted applicants – as Upwork has access to globally based freelancers, chances are your preferred applicants won’t live near you and so you will need Zoom or another platform for face to face interviews. Most of the time there is no need to interview as the freelancer’s portfolio speaks for itself, such is the calibre of freelancers available on Upwork.

 

  • Hire your freelancer of choice – share the Standard Operating Procedure with goals, timelines and an agreed price for the job then sit back and relax. Your freelancer will notify you when the job is completed and Upwork will arrange payment. All that is left to do  is thank your freelancer for a job well done!!

Upwork is highly efficient – within 10 minutes of setting up my account I posted my first job, in 3 hours I had almost 20 job applicants and within that same day I hired my first freelancer. That was eight years ago and since then I have worked with the most talented, wonderful people from all over the world. 

Can fabulous freelancers help free up your precious time?

Can fabulous freelancers bring you and your business to a different level?

Could you make a side income by becoming a fabulous freelancer and sharing your gifts with the world?

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain 

x x

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