Pomodoro Power Clean
In my previous blog post, Unlocking the 50/50 Myth, I mentioned a little technique that my partner and I use called the Pomodoro Power Clean. If you’re anything like me you severely underestimate the amount of things you can accomplish in short periods of time. The opposite is also true, you severely overestimate the amount of things you can accomplish in longer periods of time. 5 years have come and gone and you’re still on day one your five year plan you drafted in 2015.
Awhile back I was listening to a podcast when I was introduced to the term and phrase Pomodoro Technique. The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method that was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980’s. The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. Each interval is known as a pomodoro, from the Italian word for “tomato”, after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that Cirillo used as a university student.
I started using this method to tackle tasks around the house and found that many tasks I procrastinated on because I thought they would be time consuming were the opposite. I planned on 30 minutes to fold the mountain of laundry yet it only took 20, I planned on 20 minutes to tackle the dishes and it only took 8! I decided to loop my partner in on this concept and we came up with what we like to call the Pomodoro Power Clean.
Here’s how it works:
Set the kitchen timer for 25 minutes.
Split up. Each person participating (could be great for families!) takes a different room, area, or task in the house.
Each person cleans up as much as possible in their area for 30 minutes.
If you finish your task/ area in less time then move on to the next until the timer signals the end of your 30 minutes.
This concept has been such a game changer for me both professionally and personally, particularly in the house chores department. We are all so busy with our everyday lives and admittedly, if I’m choosing between happy hour or doing the dishes, 10 times out of 1, I will choose happy hour. But incorporating a Power Clean (or two) into our week helps to get things on track, doesn’t take up a ton of time, and helps the two of us share the responsibility of cleaning so it doesn’t all fall on one person. We ALWAYS feel 100% better after it’s done, because there’s just something about having a clean house that makes me feel like I’ve got my life together… Cheers!