Decluttering your home can often be a daunting process, especially if you’re struggling with a myriad of clutter. It is important to find a routine that you will want to follow regularly, so that you get consistent results.
So, when it came to organizing my workspace, I decided to apply the Pomodoro Method to see if I could clean up my desk in just a few minutes.
Below, I highlight my entire process and share why it’s my favorite method for getting everything back in order.
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What is the Pomodoro Method?
If you’re unfamiliar with this approach to productivity, the Pomodoro Method is quite simple. This is how it works:
- Choose your job.
- Set a timer for twenty minutes.
- Work with focus until the timer runs out.
- Take a five minute break.
- Reset your timer for another twenty minutes.
- Repeat this process as needed.
As you can probably guess, there’s some empty space here. For smaller tasks, you can set your timer for ten or fifteen minutes, and give yourself a two or three-minute break. For larger tasks, you can give yourself longer breaks after a few consecutive work-windows.
Basically, as long as you guarantee yourself a set amount of time to focus, you can adjust the specifics as needed.
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Why is it called the Pomodoro Method?
As you may already know, the word Pomodoro Actually it’s Italian for tomato – or, more literally, it means “golden apple.” This method actually dates back to the 1990s and was coined by a man named Francesco Cirillo. He used a literal tomato-shaped timer to keep track of his method, and so, the name Pomodoro Method was born.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any fruit or vegetable-shaped timers, so I just went with my convenient phone timer.
The Spruce / Ashley Chalmers
assessing your pain points
Full disclosure: I came in knowing that I was already a big fan of the Pomodoro method. I use this often when I’m writing, and I really thought about it when I tried 5×5 method For cleaning our entrance.
As I’ve learned to use the Pomodoro Method while working, I do best when I start my first round with a plan. Otherwise, I could easily spend the first twenty minutes stumbling along, not knowing where or how to start.
With this in mind, I took a look at my desk and tried to figure out why it had become so cluttered. As soon as I did this, the answer was clear. I recently had to upgrade my workstation To be more ergonomic, and in the process, I lost some prime desk space.
My neck is definitely happy, but my beauty is sore. I decided that my goal would be to cut down on the amount of things on my desk that don’t need to be there and organize my desktop file holder,
Process
I set my timer for twenty minutes. Then, I systematically went through everything on my desk and everything in my file holder, sorting everything into piles: stopping by, coming home again, and tossing. There’s nothing donateable on my desktop, but there are plenty of things that would make more sense to store elsewhere.
For example, in my file holder, I found all kinds of random but necessary things like printed photos and labels for my kids’ school clothes. But then I also have things that really need to be filed away instead of just stuck in a box. I also found a bunch of my kids’ school reports and some blank notebooks that I bought with good intentions, but would never use.
On my desktop, I removed some extra items I didn’t want. It includes a candle I don’t even like, an empty matchbox, and a screen cleaner that would be best left in a drawer.
As I list these items now, they seem small and very unimportant. But all these little things were contributing to this new air of chaos I’d created, and that meant they had to go.
The Spruce/Ashley Chalmers
rest time
Without even glancing at my timer, I set everything from the ‘stay’ pile back into its place. As soon as I did this, my timer went off and notified me to take a break. I chose my time wisely – by catching up on my group chat and sending voice notes about a book I’m currently reading and enjoying.
pomodoro round two
I set my timer for the next twenty minutes, knowing full well it wouldn’t take that long to get everything home again—and I was right. all the things i didn’t want my desk was clean and uncluttered For less than half that.
I decided to reward myself with another mini break before going back to my desk, freshly cleaned and clutter free.
The Spruce/Ashley Chalmers
final conclusion
It really was the perfect way to clear out my workspace before diving into a day of productivity, and I can definitely see myself using it going forward.
The best thing I like about it is that it has no strings attached. You don’t have to do it at a certain time of day or at a certain time of year. There are no clear rules, other than using your timer to keep you on track.
For me, this is the easiest way to make something a habit. If I decide to use this technique at the end of every day, I can and I will—but if I miss a day, that’s okay too. I could always use it as a way to start my workday, and it would be just as effective.
