The Pomodoro Technique

Posted on July 6, 2024 by Louise Gallagher

When a big task looms, my tendency is to dive-in headfirst, think later, and organize last. It’s as if my mind shifts into overdrive, declaring, “Just do it, Louise, or you’ll never finish!” And so I plunge in, relentlessly pushing until the job is done. My hyper-focus can be an admirable trait, I can get a lot done and am adept at juggling multiple balls all at once while staying focused on the task at hand.

The trouble is, in my ‘get ‘er done’ mode of getting the job done, if it involves multiple components, I have a natural tendency to hop between them without much thought for logistics or logical order. This chaotic approach often leads to burnout, frustration, and a final result that’s either haphazardly completed or abandoned altogether. (Not my proudest trait, I admit.)

Yesterday, while wrestling with my disorganized studio (yes, even organizers struggle with organization), I realized I needed a more focused, strategic approach. Taking a break from the chaos, I brewed a cup of tea and turned to Dr. Google for advice on “How to tackle big tasks without burning out.”

That’s when I stumbled upon The Pomodoro Technique. Invented and named by Francesco Cirillo, an Italian university student who used a tomato-shaped timer to power through his final exams (pomodoro is Italian for tomato), this technique aims to combat burnout, procrastination, and overwhelm.

The premise is simple: break your work into 25-minute chunks, timing each segment. At the end of each 25 minutes, take a five-minute break. After four of these focused sessions, take a longer break of 25-30 minutes.

By the time I discovered the Pomodoro Technique, I’d been working in my studio for 3 hours. And, while I’d accomplished a fair bit, I felt overwhelmed by all I still had to do to create calm in my creative space. It was late in the day when I applied the Pomodoro, and yet, after four 25 + 5-minute cycles, I felt more accomplished, calm and content, than in the previous 3 hours of work. Let’s see how today unfolds as I plan on incorporating it into my process to complete the task and move onto the storage area and garage!

BTW – During my Dr. Google consultation, I did come across other time management systems. After all, organizing our time and energy is a personal matter. I’ve tried countless methods, always slipping back into haphazard chaos. For me, the Pomodoro Technique seems to resonate with my natural rhythms and need for variety and focus all at the same time. Knowing the timer will ring in 25 minutes keeps me on task and prevents me from spiraling into “just get it done” overwhelm. Plus, it reminds me to take frequent breaks – which are much healthier than my ‘do it ’til I drop’ method for accomplishing physical labour oriented tasks.

Other Time Management Methods:

Timeboxing: Set a fixed amount of time for a task and work on it until the time is up, regardless of whether it’s finished.
Time Blocking: Schedule specific blocks of time in your day for different tasks or activities.
Eat the Frog: Tackle your most challenging or unpleasant task first thing in the morning.
Getting Things Done (GTD): Capture, organize, and prioritize tasks, breaking down large projects into smaller steps.
Flowtime Technique: Work on a task until you naturally feel like taking a break.
The Eisenhower Matrix: Prioritize tasks based on their urgency and importance.

From Giving to Living: Balancing Self-Care with Caring for Others

Posted on May 3, 2024 by Louise Gallagher

Throughout our lives, especially as women, we often prioritize caring for others over ourselves. Whether as mothers, partners, friends, or colleagues, we frequently extend compassion and care outward, sometimes leaving very little for ourselves.

As we age, this pattern can persist if we do not consciously assess our own self-care practices. Proper self-care is crucial for living fully and passionately. It not only enhances our ability to care for others but also protects us from accumulating resentment and bitterness. Constantly prioritizing others can lead to an empty well of empathy and compassion.

Many factors contribute to neglecting self-care, including childhood conditioning, societal expectations, and a lack of self-belief. Without examination, these habits can lead to perpetual feelings of fatigue, burnout, and emptiness.

That’s why I’ve created the ‘Self-Care Check-In,’ a simple yet powerful tool to assess your self-care habits.

Why Reflective Journaling? Reflective journaling makes our thoughts and feelings tangible, allowing us to address often overlooked needs, desires, and well-being. This exercise encourages you to pause and ask whether you treat yourself with the same kindness and love you offer others.

In reflective journaling, there’s no judgment—only curiosity and empathetic acceptance. It opens a space for awareness, helping you explore possibilities for more loving self-care practices.

Self-Care Isn’t Just Pampering It’s about recognizing our worth and making ourselves a priority. By responding to specific questions through journaling, we can gauge our current self-care practices and identify steps to integrate better self-care into our daily routines.

Remember, the way we treat ourselves sets the stage for how we interact with the world, especially as we embrace the bold and brilliant years of our lives.

Let’s Get Started:

Open your journal to a new page and title it ‘Self-Care Check-In.’
At the top right-hand corner of the page, write a large A+. You’ve already started practicing positive self-care by showing up on the page—that deserves an A+.
Below are four questions to help you assess your self-care. Please answer spontaneously, without overthinking.
- Physical Self-Care: “What is one physical activity I did for myself today? (e.g., stretching, walking)”
- Emotional Self-Care: “What is one thing I did today to make myself feel loved or supported?”
- Mental Self-Care: “What is one thing I did today that brought me peace or rest?”
- Gratitude: “What is one thing I am grateful for about myself today?”

After answering these questions, reflect on which area was most challenging and consider what steps you can take to improve self-care in that area.

For me, emotional self-care requires daily conscious effort. What about you?

I’d love to read your thoughts and experiences. Please share them in the comments below.

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We explore Self-Care and what holds us back from extending it to ourselves in my 8 week program, The ReWrite Journey.

I’ll be starting a new cohort Monday, May 13th at 5:30pm MT.

Gift yourself time to explore the art of ageless living with The ReWrite Journey.

Learn more HERE

Posted on March 31, 2024 by Louise Gallagher

“Joy transcends age; it’s not confined to youth. It’s a universal treasure that spans all ages, reminding us that to experience joy we must embrace the journey of life with love, laughter, gratitude and compassion every day.” Louise Gallagher

As I sit before my computer navigating various sites to launch thep of unveiling another chapter of the Radiant Bold Aging Masterclass, and transforming my two-month ReEnvision Your Journey program into a six-month quest to champion women in crafting the life of their dreams, age notwithstanding, my journal pages have blossomed with musings on JOY.

What essence it holds, whence it springs. What, if anything, fills its void when it gently slips away? In its absence, where do I seek refuge? And why, oh why, does joy hold such paramount importance?

These existential ponderings, to me, are not just intriguing—they are essential quests for understanding.

Today, merrily working in my studio, with the melody of birdsong heralding spring to the barren branches of the trees that line the riverbank, and sunlight dancing on the snow-blanketed earth of our backyard, I found myself cradled in the sheer joy of the present.

Joy—like an ocean wave—envelops me, washing away the remnants of turmoil. It saturates my being when I cease to engage with joy’s thieves: resentment, regret, anger, sorrow, and the mundane grievances against the world’s bad drivers and the monotony of customer service scripts. Ah, those familiar foes.

I’ve come to realize that irrespective of age, emotions crash upon the shores of my consciousness, uninvited. To truly know Joy, I must allow these feelings to be swallowed by the temporal tides, and in their stead, embrace love, self-compassion, mindfulness, and the endless possibilities each moment holds.

In such moments, my heart feels lighter, my thoughts as clear as the rainbow stretching across the sky after a storm, and I am embraced once more with Joy.

Such a profound, exquisite blessing.

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