Flight

Pomodoro calculator

List what you need to do and how long each thing will take. See how many Pomodoros that is, the schedule with every break, and what time you'll be done.

Pomodoros7Done by 12:35 PM, breaks included.
Focus time
2h 55m
Breaks
40m
Per task
Write the report: 4 · Reply to email: 1 · Prepare the slides: 2
  1. 9:00 AM – 9:25 AMWrite the report · Pomodoro 1
  2. 9:25 AM – 9:30 AMShort break
  3. 9:30 AM – 9:55 AMWrite the report · Pomodoro 2
  4. 9:55 AM – 10:00 AMShort break
  5. 10:00 AM – 10:25 AMWrite the report · Pomodoro 3
  6. 10:25 AM – 10:30 AMShort break
  7. 10:30 AM – 10:55 AMWrite the report · Pomodoro 4
  8. 10:55 AM – 11:10 AMLong break
  9. 11:10 AM – 11:35 AMReply to email · Pomodoro 5
  10. 11:35 AM – 11:40 AMShort break
  11. 11:40 AM – 12:05 PMPrepare the slides · Pomodoro 6
  12. 12:05 PM – 12:10 PMShort break
  13. 12:10 PM – 12:35 PMPrepare the slides · Pomodoro 7

From hours of work to Pomodoros

With 25-minute sessions, 5-minute breaks and a 15-minute break after every four:

WorkPomodorosBreaksClock time
1 hour310m1h 25m
2 hours530m2h 35m
3 hours845m4h 5m
4 hours101h 5m5h 15m
5 hours121h 15m6h 15m
6 hours151h 40m7h 55m

Breaks add about a fifth to the day. Plan for them, or the schedule slips by the afternoon.

Planning a day in Pomodoros

  1. Write the list, and put a Pomodoro estimate next to each task.
  2. Order it by what matters, not what's easy. The Eisenhower matrix helps decide.
  3. Check the finish time. If it's after the end of your day, cut or move tasks now rather than at 5 PM.
  4. Run the sessions with the Pomodoro timer, and note how many each task really took.

Choose a longer split at the top for deep work: 50/10 or 90/20 suit writing and code better than 25/5. Our guide to time blocking covers the rest of the planning.

Questions

How many Pomodoros are in an hour?

Two, with a five-minute break between them: 25 minutes, a break, 25 minutes. Counting the break after the second one, an hour of clock time holds two Pomodoros.

How many Pomodoros a day is realistic?

Eight to twelve is a full, productive day for most people: four to six hours of real focus. Few people can do much more than that day after day, which matches what studies of expert performers found about deliberate practice.

How do I estimate tasks in Pomodoros?

Guess in Pomodoros rather than hours, then write down how many each task really took. Most people underestimate at first; after a couple of weeks of comparing, the guesses get much better.

What about tasks shorter than a Pomodoro?

Group them. A Pomodoro of email and messages, a Pomodoro of small fixes. In the calculator, list them as one task.

Further reading

  1. Spaced repetition: a study schedule that sticksReview just as you start to forget, at growing intervals. The forgetting curve, the spacing effect, a simple review schedule, and the tools that automate it.
  2. Time blocking: how to plan your day in blocksTime blocking gives your important work a place on the calendar. How to block a day, an example schedule, and how it fits with timeboxing and the Pomodoro Technique.
  3. How to use the Pomodoro Technique for studyingThe Pomodoro Technique was made for studying. How to run study sessions in Pomodoros, an example study block, and how many to do in a day.

More free tools

All 32 free tools