Boost Your Productivity with a Single Chrome Plugin

We’re all quite familiar with Chrome, Google’s official web browser, and it is likely you’re reading this on the very same browser. Although many would differ, the fact of the matter is that Google’s Chrome browser doesn’t come fully optimized right out of the box, which is why it needs certain plugins that basically allow Chrome to display the contents the browser wouldn’t be able to otherwise. With the next Microsoft Office release upon us, productivity is the one of the most trending buzzwords. And one such plugin that could be of much use for Googlers when it comes to productivity is called “Strict Workflow.”

As you may have guessed it, Strict Workflow is a plugin which helps enhance the user’s productivity. So, let’s take a closer look on the plugin and how it can work for you. For starters, Strict Workflow is a browser plugin which helps the user follow the principles of the Pomodoro technique. So, what is the Pomodoro technique and what does it have to do with productivity? Back in the 80s, Francesco Cirillo developed a work methodology, which was called the Pomodoro technique.

In this methodology, the person has to set the kitchen timer to exactly 25 minutes and work until it rings. No ifs and buts are allowed in this methodology and the person is required to work non-stop until the bell rings. Once the alarm goes off, you can take a five minute break, and then you reset the timer and repeat the process.

The Strict Workflow plugin sits in your Chrome browser and keeps you in check. For instance, a red tomato means you are still in work phase, while a green tomato means that it’s time to take a break. But, that’s not all; another nifty little feature of this plugin is that it can block all those websites which might distract you during your work. What this means is that whenever you’re in a work phase, you cannot open certain websites such as Facebook, and you have to wait until the tomato turns green.

While there are certain similarities, Strict Workflow does differ from the Pomodoro Technique in a few ways. Firstly, you don’t get a ticking timer, which is a sort of ticking reminder that time is passing by. This plugin will just sit quietly on your browser and give you alerts via on screen notifications, though you can also activate a buzzer too. Another way the two differ is while under the Pomodoro Technique, a person can take longer breaks of 30 minutes after four cycles, the Strict Workflow plugin only allows a break after one cycle. That being said, users can however customize the number of minutes they want in each phase.

The one feature that the Strict Workflow plugin has that a kitchen clock never could is the ability to block all those sites which could distract the user and keep them from completing their tasks on time. Once the work phase has started, users cannot cut corners by making changes to the list, which is another good feature which keeps users from getting distracted. On the other hand, a user can just use another browser to open those websites. While the Pomodoro Technique states that a person has to put their work down and walk away from it once the bell rings, the Strict Workflow plugin does not do anything to lock a person out of their work once they reach the break phase.

So, it’s not as strict as the name implies. Strict Workflow does however, offer flexibility to the user that, when paired along with the next Microsoft Office release, can prove to be quite handy for users. As in, once the plugin has been installed on Chrome, you don’t have to use it every time you use the browser for a quick search. The Strict Workflow plugin comes in handy in two circumstances- when you have a lot of work to do and you find that too much time has slipped by, or when you are faced with a task that you have to complete really fast. In a way, the plugin is really helpful as the presence of a clock adds a bit of pressure on an individual to complete a certain task within a specified timeframe.