One of the ways I stay productive is the Pomodoro Technique. Invented by Francisco Cirillo (and trademarked by him), it is a simple way to alternate focused work for 25 minutes with five-minute breaks. After four focused work sessions, the user takes a long break of 20 minutes. I recently used this technique to pass the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) exam by the Project Management Institute (PMI). I found that the breaks helped me be more productive during my focused study sessions. I linked my tasks in Todoist, my favorite to-do list app, with Pomodone, an app that works as a Pomodoro timer. Pomodone also works with two of my other favorite tools, Trello (for group projects) and Evernote (my external brain/note taking app). I recommend the Pomodoro Technique for planning, grading, and studying for certification tests.