We are all looking for ways to develop the discipline we need to increase our productivity at work. All too often, we find ourselve distracted by our electronics and, instead of working, we wind up looking through email or surfing the Web.

Recently, some researchers have been touting the benefits of impulse control as a way to increase our discipline and productivity. They claim it leads to better success academically and financially.

As evidence for their assertions, they point to the results experienced by people who used an impulse control method called the Pomodoro Technique. With this technique, a person sets a timer for 25 minutes, and during that time, he or she works only on one task. It is designed to keep the person from multitasking or allowing his or her mind to wander. After 25 minutes have elapsed, the person then walks around for about five minutes as a way of resting and recuperating.

What surprised people using this technique was the way it not only increased productivity, but improved a person’s attitude as well. After people began using the technique, they reported feeling more empowered, more in control of handling hard tasks and getting work done.

Not only that, after people began using the technique, they developed a better insight into the kinds of things that really distracted them from doing the work they needed to do. Interestingly, most of these distractions were internal. Although items like email, phone calls and interruptions from colleagues played a part in distracting workers, an even greater cause of distraction was the thoughts and emotions going on inside of people’s heads. Stray thoughts and desires were a big influence on productivity.

But by using the Pomodoro Technique, workers were better able to recognize these interloper thoughts and work to eliminate them. Again, the principle of delayed gratification came to the rescue – people were able to put off their urge to surf the Internet, for example, because they knew they would have a chance to do it at the end of their 25-minute work interval.

The technique also has additional benefits. Workers found that it really helped them to see what kinds of work were the most fulfilling – they knew this when they were reluctant to stop working after the 25-minute interval. They had become so caught up in the task that time had become, in a sense, irrelevant.

Some also reported that using the technique helped them to get started on work that they really didn’t want to do. Knowing that they would only have to stick to the task initially for 25 minutes gave them the impetus to begin.

Set your time to 25 minutes and put together a cover letter for your resume and then send it to the recruiters at Winston Resources. If you’re looking for work in New York City, we can help you find it quickly with some of Manhattan’s best employers. Contact us today.