The Ivy Lee Method

Combine Ivy Lee Method and Pomodoro Technique to boost your productivity

The Ivy Lee Method: By 1918, Charles M. Schwab was one of the richest men in the world.

Schwab was the president of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, the largest shipbuilder and the second-largest steel producer in America at the time. The famous inventor Thomas Edison once referred to Schwab as the “master hustler.” He was constantly seeking an edge over the competition.

One day in 1918, in his quest to increase the efficiency of his team and discover better ways to get things done, Schwab arranged a meeting with a highly-respected productivity consultant named Ivy Lee.

Lee was a successful businessman in his own right and is widely remembered as a pioneer in the field of public relations. As the story goes, Schwab brought Lee into his office and said, “Show me a way to get more things done.”

“Give me 15 minutes with each of your executives,” Lee replied.

“How much will it cost me,” Schwab asked.

“Nothing,” Lee said. “Unless it works. After three months, you can send me a check for whatever you feel it's worth to you.”

During his 15 minutes with each executive, Ivy Lee explained his simple daily routine for achieving peak productivity:

• At the end of each work day, write down the six most important things you need to accomplish tomorrow. Do not write down more than six tasks.

• Prioritize those six items in order of their true importance.

• When you arrive tomorrow, concentrate only on the first task. Work until the first task is finished before moving on to the second task.

• Approach the rest of your list in the same fashion. At the end of the day, move any unfinished items to a new list of six tasks for the following day.

• Repeat this process every working day.

The strategy sounded simple, but Schwab and his executive team at Bethlehem Steel gave it a try. After three months, Schwab was so delighted with the progress his company had made that he called Lee into his office and wrote him a check for $25,000.

A $25,000 check written in 1918 is the equivalent of a $400,000 check in 2015.

The Pomodoro Technique: In the late 1980's, Francesco Cirillo first came up with the Pomodoro. Cirillo came up with the name (which is an Italian word for “tomato") because he utilized a tomato-shaped egg timer when managing his time.

The idea behind the Pomodoro Technique is to break down all of your tasks into 25-minute time blocks. Between each time block, there is a five-minute break. And after completing four Pomodoros you take a longer break—usually 15 to 30 minutes. In theory, this strategy works because you completely focus on one task (like writing) without shifting focus or multitasking. When the clock is ticking, you ignore the urge to check email, hop on Facebook, answer text messages or do any other distracting activity. You’re in the zone and completely focused.

Here’s the recommended process for following the Pomodoro Technique - Time Blocking Method

• Begin with your first task.

• Set a timer to 25 minutes (either with an egg timer or with an app).

• Work on the task for 25 minutes. Avoid all distractions and urges to multi-task.

• Take a 5-minute break (short break) for energy renewal, start another Pomodoro.

• Take a 25-minute break (long break) after completing four Pomodoros.

Simple, but very effective. When you use this technique, you’ll see a dramatic improvement in your productivity and ability to get things done.

Now you have two awesome methods that can boost your productivity like a charm, why don’t combine them together by using this application.