š One of the biggest struggles I see in med students studying for their USMLE or med school exams is lacking the ability to FOCUS.
Struggling to get FOCUSED is slowing down your USMLE prep & progressā¦Ā Plain & simple!
FOCUSā¦ if you can tap into it any time you want or need, is truly a life-changing skill.
Youāll notice that you learn the material with easeā¦
.Youāll retain it like a spongeā¦ š§
Ā And ultimately, youāll make faster progress and achieve your goals much soonerā¦
.This is where my favorite and super-powerful tool comes in handy: The Pomodoro TechniqueĀ
Ā The Pomodoro technique is a time management method that can help youā¦. Boost productivity, develop unshakable focus, and achieve your goals in less time.
Ā š The Pomodoro Technique is based on the idea that we work best in short, focused burstsā¦
Ā The basic principle of the technique is to break your work into 25-minute intervals, known as “Pomodoros”, followed by a short break.Ā
Ā After four Pomodoros, you take a longer breakā¦
Ā By breaking your work into smaller chunks, you can stay focused and avoid burnout.
Ā HERE ARE THE BASIC STEPS TO USING THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE:
š 1 – Choose a task: Before you start your Pomodoro, choose a task that you want to complete. It should be something that can be completed in 25 minutes or less; make this super-specific and make sure itās something thatās going to help you make progress in your studies. Note: When it comes to to implement longer blocks of questions, we can adjust our Pomodoro timing as needed (more on this below).
ā²ļø 2- Set a timer: Set a timer for 25 minutes. There are tons of free phone apps that can help you track your Pomodorosā¦ Or you can just keep track on a piece of paper.
šØāš» 3 – Work on the task: Once the timer starts, begin working on the task. Try to stay focused and avoid distractionsā¦ Phone and computer notifications should be turned OFF! Set a āfocusā on your phone so nothing breaks your concentration.Ā
šāāļø 4 – Take a break: When the timer goes off, take a short 5-minute break.Ā
ā 5 – Repeat: Repeat the process by starting another 25-minute Pomodoro. After four Pomodoros, take a longer break of 15-30 minutes.
š KEYS TO SUCCESS š
One of the keys to using the Pomodoro Technique effectively is to stay focused during the 25-minute Pomodoros.Ā
To do this, it’s important to eliminate distractions as much as possible. This means turning off notifications and finding a quiet study spot that puts you in an environment without potential distractors.
Another key to success is to use the Pomodoro Technique consistently. The more you use it, the more you will get used to it and the better youāll become at staying focused during the Pomodoros.
Rememberā¦ the entire goal here is to train yourself to do focused work on a more consistent basisā¦ The harder you try to maximize each session, the easier it becomes with time to get laser-focusedā¦ With means youāll get compounding effects if used over a long enough time horizon.
The more focused your work, the better the results – period!
š¤· ADJUSTING FOR DIFFERENT NEEDS š¤·
It’s important to adjust the technique to suit your needs. For example, some people find that 25 minutes is too short for their work, while others find it too longā¦ This typically happens if youāre someone who likes to stick with something once you get into the āzoneāā¦ if this is you, great! Just set different time limits.
You can experiment with different time intervals to find what works best for youā¦
A couple recommendations I have specifically for medical students is to keep the following in mind when designing your own Pomodoroās:
#1. Use shorter time intervals for review sessionsā¦ For example, if youāre doing a drill session on a specific topic or reviewing something that you learned previously, a shorter timeframe will yield great results.
#2. Use longer time intervals for questionsā¦ If youāre diving into a timed block of USMLE questions, youāll find that 25-minutes wonāt get you very farā¦ In this instance, a 60-minute Pomodoro is going to be much more realistic.
šŖ BOOSTING YOUR POMODOROS šŖĀ
In addition to the basic technique, there are several variations and strategies you can use to get even more out of the Pomodoro Technique.
One strategy is to use the Pomodoro Technique in combination with the Eisenhower Matrix, which is a tool for prioritizing tasks based on their importance and urgency.Ā
Using the Eisenhower Matrix in conjunction with the Pomodoro Technique can ensure that youāre working on the most important tasks during your Pomodorosā¦
Consider a regular day in the life of a med student studying for the USMLE Step 1 examā¦
Youāve got a million things to do: Questions, question-review, weakness review, review to keep older info freshā¦
Creating an outline of whatās mandatory TODAY and using your Pomodoros to get through it will be that 1-2 punch thatāll help you make better and faster progressā¦ And ensure that youāre able to get the things done that are 100% necessary to keep making progress.
Another strategy is to use the Pomodoro Technique for different types of tasksā¦
For example, you might use the technique for review sessions and doing questions, but use a different technique for deep-diving into major weaknesses.Ā
By tailoring the technique to the task at hand, you can optimize your productivity.
The Pomodoro Technique can also be used to track your progress and measure your productivity.Ā
ā£ļø GAMIFYING YOUR USMLE PREP ā¦ļø
By keeping a record of how many Pomodoros you complete each day, you can see how much youāre getting done and make adjustments as neededā¦Ā
You can gamify your USMLE or med school exam prep by trying to outdo yourself as you get stronger and strongerā¦ Trying to consistently improve against yourself is the real key to success!
If you successfully completed five Pomodoros yesterday, todayās goal should be sixā¦ And continue down that path of consistently outdoing your previous record!
IN CONCLUSIONā¦
Overall, the Pomodoro Technique is a simple yet super-powerful time management tool that can help you increase productivity and improve focus š
By breaking your work into smaller chunks, eliminating distractions, and staying consistent, you can make the most of your time and achieve your goals.Ā
Additionally, using variations and strategies such as combining it with the Eisenhower Matrix, tailoring it to different types of tasks, and tracking your progressā¦ Allows you to further optimize your productivity and maximize your results.Ā
Soā¦Ā If you want to make the absolute most out of your study sessionsā¦ Implementing the Pomodoro technique can be a complete game-changer!
BONUS USMLE TIPS & TRICKSā¦
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