Time Management

The process of planning and exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific activities to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity.

A time-management method developed by Francesco Cirillo that uses a timer to break work into 25-minute focused intervals (pomodoros) separated by 5-minute breaks.

25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute short break.

You take a longer break of 15–30 minutes before starting the next cycle.

1. Choose a task 2. Set timer for 25 min 3. Work until timer rings 4. Take a short break 5. After four pomodoros, take a long break.

It reduces the psychological barrier of starting work, combats procrastination by making tasks feel finite, and trains sustained attention in manageable bursts.

Use the remaining time for overlearning — review, improve, or polish the work until the timer rings.

A prioritisation framework that categorises tasks into four quadrants based on two dimensions: urgency and importance.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who said: "What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important." Later popularised by Stephen Covey.

Q1: Urgent & Important (Do) · Q2: Not Urgent & Important (Schedule) · Q3: Urgent & Not Important (Delegate) · Q4: Not Urgent & Not Important (Eliminate).

Quadrant 2 (Important but Not Urgent) — strategic planning, relationship building, personal development, and prevention activities.

Crises, pressing deadlines, emergency repairs, last-minute preparations — tasks that are both urgent and important.