My Gamified Pomodoro Technique
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Introduction
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The [Pomodoro Technique](https://francescocirillo.com/pages/pomodoro-technique) is a productivity technique based on working in 25-minute chunks.  I have modified it slightly to make the chunks shorter and more variable.  This adds some element of chance and luck, and I find I can better manage shorter working chunks.

Timer
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Since I am a software engineer, my setup is computer-centric.  In particular, I use Linux with Xfce, but the basic technique is portable to a wide variety of technologies.

I use the Xfce timer widget set up to play a buzzer when the timer finishes.  I recommend using mplayer to play a short buzzer, such as is found at [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66ZMU4eJ1s0].  You can set up a default action, relieving you of the requirement to specify the buzzer for each timer, which will prove a handy timersaver.

Tools
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1.  Deck of cards with two jokers.
2.  Timer 

Technique
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At the start of the day or other work period (e.g. before and after lunch), shuffle the deck thoroughly.

When you are ready to start a Pomodoro, turn over the top two cards.  Aces count as eleven, face cards as ten, and other cards their pip value.  Sum the two values; this is the length of the Pomodoro in minutes.  Start the timer and then start working.  The Xfce timer widget lets you have a menu of different timer lengths, which is convenient since you can have a multitude of Pomodoro lengths.

Jokers are "clone cards"; they duplicate the value of the other card in the two you turned over.  In the unlikely event the two cards you turn over are both jokers, then turn over a third card; your Pomodoro length will be three time the value of the third card.

When you are ready to start your next Pomodoro, turn over the next two cards **without** shuffling the face-up cards into the deck.  In this way, you have a log of how many Pomodoros you have worked and how long they were.