This Time-Management Hack is a Game-Changer

Espresso Agent > Blog > Agent Success Mindset and Productivity > This Time-Management Hack is a Game-Changer
tomato shaped kitchen timer next to computer

One of the oft-overlooked aspects of success in real estate is time management.

The industry tends to focus (this blog is no exception) on the “hard,” tangible skills & strategies such as prospecting expireds/FSBOs, lead generation tips, call-to-listing ratios, closing strategies, etc. To be sure, mastering these strategies is critical to long-term success in this industry.

But we shouldn’t overlook the “soft” strategies that help fortify our physical, emotional, and psychic qualities. To this end, in recent months we’ve posted about:

With regard to “soft” strategies, another frequent topic in this blog is time management. The level of distraction in our increasingly-busy lives has grown exponentially in recent years. And, of course, the pandemic exacerbated the level of disruption in our lives as many (if not most) of us were forced to work from home, negotiating space (and patience) with partners, kids, dogs, delivery people, and on and on….

There are myriad time-management strategies, some of which we’ve covered in this blog. But today we’re going to focus on a super-simple technique that, if followed, can dramatically improve your personal efficiency, while allowing you to feel more balanced. This hack is known as the Pomodoro Technique.

Pomodoro was created by Francesco Cirillo in the late 80s. The technique uses a timer to break down work in intervals of 25 minute segments, punctuated by short, 5-minute breaks. Each 25 minute segment is known as a Pomodoro, Italian for “tomato.”

The Pomodoro Technique is a measurement of effort by individuals or teams. Let’s walk through the process.

Find yourself a timer-could be a kitchen timer, although most smartphones provide a built-in timer. Set the timer to 25 minutes. Hit start and begin working, following these guidelines:

  1. You (your Pomodoro) cannot be interrupted.
  2. You cannot split up your Pomodoro if interrupted by a person, pet, phone call, etc. Such disruptions, or “voids,” often require us to go back to the beginning of the project or activity. That’s because the brain does not like to be interrupted!
  3. STOP when the timer goes off, regardless of where you are in your activity.
  4. Take a 5 minute break-and if you were lucky enough to complete your task in 25 minutes, put an “X” next to the activity (we love completing tasks), then start your break.
  5. Use your 5 minute break wisely: walk, stretch, breathe, step outside, hydrate. But, if at all possible, DO NOT engage in any activity that requires mental energy.
  6. Keep working on Pomodoros until a task/activity is fully completed.
  7. Every FOUR Pomodoros, stop for an extended break, between 15-30 minutes. Maybe you take a quick run, or enjoy a leisurely lunch. Or even a quick nap. Regardless, use this time to renew yourself.
  8. If you finish an activity with time remaining in your Pomodoro, take that time to review your work and make improvements where necessary.
  9. Keep track of your daily Pomodoros, an reflect on how much energy you need to put into certain tasks.
  10. Use at least one Pomodoro a day to review and improve your process…and productivity.

As with developing any new process or habit, mastering the Pomodoro Technique will take practice. For example, this writer forgot to start the timer before starting this blog post on the Pomodoro Technique. As such, it will be difficult to accurately estimate how many Pomodoros were needed to complete this blog post (best guesstimate: 1 ¾ Pomodoros).

Give the Pomodoro Technique a try and let us know what you think

 

Ready to Get Started?

Share the Secrets

Still Have Questions Or Interested In Learning More? Contact Us Today

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
By continuing I give express permission to Symphony Source, LLC/Espresso Agent to call, email, and text me. We keep your personal information safe.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

RECOMMENED ARTICLES

Buyer broker agreement

Prospecting Real Estate Expired Listing Leads

By Espresso Agent | October 2, 2023

Regular readers of this blog know that we focus on…

Read More
Two birds flying in the sky

The Key to Real Estate Success Might be Empathy

By Espresso Agent | September 18, 2023

In a recent survey of CEOs, more than 80 percent…

Read More

Ego and Real Estate Lead Generation

By Espresso Agent | September 8, 2023

There’s nothing inherently wrong with ego: We all have one,…

Read More
Espresso Agent > Blog > Agent Success Mindset and Productivity > This Time-Management Hack is a Game-Changer

Real Estate Leads                            CRM                               Blog
Expired Listing Leads                     Dialer                             Why Choose Us
FSBO Leads                                      Video Email                  Today's Brew
FRBO Leads                                                                             Pricing
Real Estate Farming                                                               Login
Pre-forclosure Leads

195 W Main Street American Fork, UT 84003