by Hallee Bridgeman, @halleeb
I have a son with autism and he really struggled with the way public schools work. He couldn’t sit in class 45-minutes at a time, over and over again all day long. He felt like he was slowly going insane.
When we took our kids out of school to homeschool, at first, I tried to run it like I understood schools to run. Chunks of time for specific classes – sit until your work is done. School took HOURS AND HOURS. Ugh – it was so frustrating.
We finally made a deal with him – that’s something we’ve always done, is deals. When we make a deal with him, he keeps it as long as we keep it. Here was the deal:
Work as hard as you can for 20 minutes, and then go do whatever you want to do for 10 minutes.
It was an adjusted form of the Pomodoro Technique. With Pomodoro, you work 20-25 minutes and take a 5 minute break.
This was BRILLIANT with him. School time was cut in half. He was happy, we were happy. We’re now 3 years into homeschooling and we’ll never go back to public schools. His a straight-A sophomore in high school. His 10-minute breaks are used to walk, and he typically gets about 10 miles in a day.
Why am I talking about my autistic homeschooled son right now? Because the Pomodoro Technique, once I learned about it, revolutionized my work day.
I do my own setup. I work as hard as I can for 50 minutes, then I get up and, like my son, I go walk. I live in a neighborhood of two circles that form a figure-eight, and one time around the full figure-eight is a half a mile exactly.
I start work at 4:00 in the morning and I write until 7:00. I have a day job, so from 7:00-3:00, I’m at work (from home). I usually give my writing job (marketing, etc.) another hour. So, by the time it’s all done, I’ve been at my computer for 12 hours. Getting up every 50 minutes and walking a half mile has done so much for my productivity, for my creativity, and for my energy.
I get more work done, yes. But I’m also up and moving instead of just sitting for 12 hours. The more I move, the better I feel. All in all, it’s a win-win.
As you look at your planning for the new year and wanting to be more productive with your time, I encourage you to look at the Pomodoro Technique and how you can apply it to your own particular style and focus. You might find that it’s the “magic” button for increasing your writing speed, your focus on marketing, and make your body feel better!
It may seem odd to seek peace by moving to a war-torn African country, but for medical missionary Dr. Cynthia Myers, it provided a way to escape a shallow life of unearned wealth, a philandering fiancé, and a father now square in the public eye as Vice President of the United States. At least here she knows her work and life have meaning. But all that is thrown into chaos when she fails to save the life of a local warlord’s mortally wounded son.
As part of the Army Special Forces “A-team” on a mission to capture and subdue the warlord dispatched to extract Cynthia’s team, Captain Rick Norton is compelled to use deadly force to save Cynthia’s life. Enraged at the violence she witnessed and riddled with guilt that men died because of her, Cynthia tries to hold onto her anger—but an unwanted attraction is taking hold.
With two members of his team badly injured and rebels in hot pursuit, Rick will have to draw upon all of his strength and cunning to get her out alive . . . because he’s beginning to think they just might overcome their differences and be able to make a life together.
With nearly a million sales, USA TODAY bestselling and award-winning author Hallee Bridgeman writes action-packed romantic suspense focusing on realistic characters who face real-world problems. Her work has been described as everything from refreshing to heart-stopping exciting and edgy. Hallee has served as the Director of the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, President of the Faith-Hope-Love chapter of the Romance Writers of America, Secretary and Assistant Programming Chair of Novelists, Inc. (NINC), is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and the American Christian Writers (ACW). An accomplished speaker, Hallee has taught and inspired writers around the globe, from Sydney, Australia, to Dallas, Texas, to Portland, Oregon, to Washington, D.C., and all places in between. Hallee loves coffee, campy action movies, and regular date nights with her husband. Above all else, she loves God with all of her heart, soul, mind, and strength; has been redeemed by the blood of Christ; and relies on the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide her.