In the company I recently joined in (Bricsys), there is a strong push from management to follow trainings. It's not only that we have Udemy Business (so basically free unlimited Udemy courses) but also we are all clearly told that we have days reserved for trainings each year.

Since I'm in a management position, I need to encourage my teammates to follow trainings. Repeatedly. Annoyingly, for some.

But what I realized is that I haven't started myself on my training journey. And yes, like everyone I find myself excuses: too much work, courses too long, family obligations etc.

Pomodoro, a well known technique

Then I remembered a well known method from the 80s, the Pomodoro technique. Basically you would just set up a kitchen timer (yeah at some point it was a thing, young fellas), set it for 25 minutes and just focus on a task the entire time.

After the 25 min, you would take a short break, typically to take a glass of water, stretch or go to the toilets. And then again another 25 min focussed session of work, either on the same task or another one.

Now this technique can only work if you can afford to work undisturbed. Which is to me when I have time between meetings. I often think I can't do anything useful in days with a few holes between multiples meetings. But that's not true. Many tasks in my job and most people jobs can be done in 25 minutes or less.

You just need to focus and stick to it.

The feeling after completing a task in such exhausting days is phenomenal ("I did something!"). Also some rare days without any meetings I tend to feel lost, with no purpose 😁

Pomatez, a multi-platform Pomodoro tool

Now of course my first reaction instead of grabbing my watch or my phone and simply set up a timer was: "I wonder what tool exists to do Pomodoro?".

Bad habit (the tool never matters so much), I know, but I had some requirements:

• Standalone tool (not web)
• Multi-platform
• OSS
• Simple
• Able to handle a simple Todo list for the day

I took me only a couple of minutes to find what I wanted: Pomatez.

It can be found on the Ubuntu app store, but it also works without any issues on Windows.

I started using it this week, and it ticks all the boxes! I was able to start on my learning journey. I started a training on Miro, a tool I use for years without never really learning all the possibilities it offers. And I could schedule several sessions of 25 minutes and stop without feeling that I cheated by not completing the chapter or anything like that.

So I recommend both the technique and the tool for learning purpose!