
Some are straightforward, simple timers, but the best offer more features by: There are plenty of Pomodoro apps out there. So what happens when you move on from a kitchen timer and combine the Pomodoro Method with technology? And Dropbox automatically syncs my progress, so I can pick up where I left off as soon as I get home without having to email files to myself.Or check out the original Pomodoro “bible”, written by the technique’s creator, Francesco Cirillo. This way, if my home laptop ever dies, I won’t have to worry about losing any of my progress! It’s also very helpful when I have writing meetups after work - I just bring my work laptop to the cafe down the street instead of having to lug my home laptop back-and-forth each day we write together.

I use Dropbox to backup all of my progress, whether I’m working with Word or Scrivener files, and it happens automatically. Dropbox – for backup & easy file accessĭropbox lets you save your files from anywhere, on any device. When I’m doing research for a new manuscript, or if I’m not at a computer and think of a line I’d love to add to my manuscript, or a plot twist I don’t want to forget, I jot it down in Evernote! I have it installed on my home computer, work computer, and my iPhone, so I can access all my notes anywhere. I use Evernote to take all of my notes, for both work and my creative writing (you can create as many notebooks as you want). It’s $15, but will make a huge difference in your productivity, and it works with both Macs and PCs. This tool makes it easy for you to block any distracting website for a set amount of time (anywhere from 15 minutes to 8 hours). When you set your Pomodoro timer, simply set Anti-Social for the same amount of time. If you’re like me and easily get distracted by Twitter and Facebook, you need Anti-Social. Here’s what my personal board looks like:Ĥ. This not only helps me prioritize my tasks outside my day-job, but also helps me feel a sense of accomplishment when I look at my “Done” column. I set up a personal Trello board to keep track of my writing and personal brand marketing activities all in one view. Trello can help you manage your different to-do lists in a visual way.
#TOMATO TIMER IN TRELLO FREE#

Pomodoro Timer – iOS – $1.99 (image below, this is what I use).There are several apps you can use to implement the Pomodoro Technique while you write: Take a longer break (15–30 minutes) every four “pomodori” cycles.Decide on the task you want to complete.There are five basic steps to implementing the technique: The Pomodoro Technique (which you can read more about here ) is a really helpful time management method. Tip: To see how you’re progressing against your original plan, make sure to select the “I want my plan to stay the same as I work” radio button under “Managing Progress.” This way, if you want to write more on the weekends, or if you know you won’t have time to write on a particular date, Pacemaker will adjust your daily goals across the span of the project accordingly to ensure you hit your deadline. You can also customize your workload on specific days and dates. for a project, set a deadline for that project, and see your progress over time. You can enter your overall target word count, chapter count, page count, etc. Pacemaker – for goal trackingĮasily keep track of your writing goals using Pacemaker.

Note that this is not the ultimate list of all productivity tools available - that would be counter-productive! These are just the ones that I use and would recommend, as they’ve made the biggest difference in my own productivity. Along the way, I’ve discovered several productivity tools that have both helped me manage my time and keep me on track during those precious writing hours. When I manage set aside an hour or two to write, I need to make the most of this time and ensure I’m as productive as possible. As an author with a full-time job, I often struggle to find time to write in my busy schedule.
