pomodoro

It has been a while since the first version of this pomodoro tracker has been released. Development has continued, and there have been a few changes:

Backported to Java 1.7.
Added popup dialog when Pomodori are done, to ask whether to register it as a complete one:
Added popup dialog when breaks are done, to ask whether to start a new Pomodoro
Added the ability to manually reset the current amount of done pomodori
The current amount of done pomodori will can be automatically reset after X amount of minutes (default 60 minutes)
Popup dialogs will auto-close after 5 minutes
Reduced font size of wait screen so it will display correctly on Linux

The updated version can be downloaded here. Source code can be found here.

One of my favorite time management methods is the Pomodoro Technique. The method is basically as follows:

Pick a task.
Work on it for 25 minutes. This is called a Pomodoro.
Take a 5 minute break. Do something totally unrelated to your work.
Work for another Pomodoro, or 25 minutes. This can be on the same task, or a new one if the previous one is finished.
After 4 Pomodoros, take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

Because of the breaks, your mind gets just enough rest to stay focussed. Also, because you’re supposed to work on one task, and one task only during your Pomodoro, the quality of your work can go up.

Ofcourse, the technique is completely customizable. Do you think 25 minutes is too short (or too long)? Try 45 minutes (or 10 minutes). Do you need a long break sooner? Do it every 3 Pomodoros.

No I’ve made my own Pomodoro tracker. It’s written in Java 8, and it’s open source. You can find the source here . A runnable version can be found here.

This is still work in progress, and I mainly made it as a challenge to myself. If you like it, do whatever you want with it.