📦 Timeboxing
Allocate time for the most critical tasks. Make tangible progress on the massive project. Avoid procrastination by allocating time for ugly tasks, activating the law of motion. Forget to-do lists.
Without any further introduction, let me explain what timeboxing is and give you at least four different ways you can use it.
Time Boxing is a method where you set a fixed time duration, or "box," for a particular task or activity. Instead of assigning tasks to specific time slots, you allocate a predetermined amount of time to complete each task.
You allocate a predetermined amount of time to complete each task — apart from time boxing being crucial to planning. It allows you to split your time among several essential tasks or commitments.
It will allow you to plan your time for all the tasks you need and make progress on more than one task. You will stop feeling like you’re falling behind on work.
You will maintain a better balance because you can allocate timeboxes to work tasks, personal activities, rest, etc.
You are given a predetermined amount of time—what that time is is solely up to you—so if you struggle to start particular tasks, using timeboxing can give you that initial nudge and kickstart the law of motion. Once you start on the task for 10 minutes, it’ll be easier to get working for another 20 minutes.
Use it as a to-do list. Instead of piling up a list of endless tasks on a sheet of paper, allocate specific time slots (each representing your tasks) onto the calendar. That way, you have a particular time to work on each task. Also, working with a digital calendar, such as Google Calendar, allows you to extend or minimise time for each task, move tasks to a different day or time, etc., making timeboxing an extremely flexible to-do list.
The idea of this tool is to break down your project or major tasks into set blocks of time. This gives you more clarity about what tasks need to be completed.
If you're like me, you may have a list of goals, projects, and tasks you must complete. However, you may often feel like you're taking on too much and not making any real progress. When you have too many projects vying for your attention, it's easy to make little or no improvements. Consider applying timeboxing.
Timeboxing origins.
Timeboxing was first developed by James Martin, a British computer engineer and author, in the 1980s as a way to manage large and complex software development projects.
Martin believed that by breaking tasks into smaller, manageable chunks and assigning specific time frames to each, teams could improve their productivity and focus and ultimately deliver projects more efficiently.
Since then, timeboxing has been widely adopted in various industries and fields as a highly effective time-management technique.
👣 Small Steps Lead to Big Results.
Using timeboxing, you will start making slow and small progress by giving all your significant tasks equal attention and allocating a specific time block. These will accumulate and build up real momentum.
So, let’s break down how you can use this tool for yourself.
How to use timeboxing 📦
To use timeboxing, follow this six-step process. Before you begin, think about your intention and what you want to achieve. Refer to the list of benefits and different ways to use timeboxing I listed at the start of this article.
Your intention to use timeboxing matters before you start applying the following steps.
1 | Choose the tasks 📋
Some tasks overwhelm you just thinking about them. They often require a lot of time and effort, and there are no quick wins or shortcuts. Usually, these tasks come with hefty prices if left unfinished.
Think of the tasks you don’t want to spend much time on but MUST get done.
Breaking these down into more manageable smaller subtasks with their milestones and deadlines can do a big trick.
2 | Define your goals 🥅
This is where you need to coach yourself for a bit. What result would you be pleased with? What would you need to accomplish to be happy with your progress?
Think of the time you were preparing for the final assessment. With an imposing six-monthly deadline, you had 120 questions to prepare for and answer in detail.
CALCULATION
👩🏻💻 Quick maths: 120 questions / 6 months = 20 questions per month
🧮 A bit more maths: 20 questions / 4 weeks = 5 questions a week
✔️ Outcome: So you need to work on 5 questions a week, that’s only one question a day, and you still have two days a week to rest.
So what do you think? Is that doable?
This is the reason why I love breaking major projects into small chunks. Once you do, EVERYTHING is achievable, and I mean EVERYTHING.
3 | Allocate the time 🕰️
Now, it is time to open your calendar and allocate time for specific tasks. Think of your calendar slots as commitment statements. Once it’s on the calendar, it has to be done.
Let me note this, though. Use shorter timeboxes if you are dealing with tasks for which you have close to zero motivation, thinking of the example from step two. The more you break complex tasks into smaller, manageable chunks, the more likely you will prevent procrastination.
I suggest using the Pomodoro technique. In short, it helps you progress on complex tasks in manageable 25-minute time slots. Once 25 minutes are up, you take five ✋ to rest and move about, and this cycle repeats four times until you need to take a more extended break.
4 | Get to work 📝
This is a relatively easy step. Start working on your scheduled task. You might consider using a timer ⏲️ (on your phone) to keep track of your time. Once the buzzer goes off, move on to the next scheduled task.
5 | Assess your results 📈
There are two good reasons for using the timer while you work:
A. To track your time so you don’t cross over the allocated time, causing a whole lot of complications for yourself down the line
B. Use time tracking to assess your results. This will work as a springboard for future planning and time allocation. We often overestimate or underestimate how long some tasks take, and this little habit will work like a charm for you in the future.
Assessing how well you did or did not do makes this tool worthwhile. But before you dismiss it, thinking you don’t have time to reflect. Let me assure you that assessing your results can be as simple as three reflective questions process:
Did you do what you intended to do within the allocated time?
Did you overestimate or underestimate how much time you need?
What can you do better next time?
6 | Reward yourself 🥇
You can skip this step to save yourself some time. It’s an optional step, and you can use it as a source of motivation to get going with the task in the first place. You know the task you were so reluctant to start because it’s such hard work and a chore.
What’s the difference between timeboxing and time blocking?
You might wonder what the difference between timeboxing and time blocking is. Well, both involve allocating fixed periods to your activities. Yet, timeboxing limits the time you spend on the activity, while time blocking reserves the time for you to spend on the activity. Get it?
Think back to when you spent three to four hours a day on mindless tasks. This was a perfect opportunity to use timeboxing and limit your time spent on mindless tasks. Instead, use it to focus on more critical projects.
Now imagine that you have conflicting priorities and that all the major projects are approaching deadlines quickly. So what do you do? This is a perfect opportunity to use time blocking and reserve time for each significant activity.
Timeboxing is an effective way to kick the Parkinson Law in the butt.
Parkinson’s law flippantly states that work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.1
Your weekly task for this week is to apply to timeboxing, whether you struggle to maintain balance and feel like you’re dropping the ball on important commitments.
Whether you procrastinate on this big project and don’t seem to get started on it.
Whether you spend too much time on one task and leave behind others.
Whether you keep compiling massive to-do lists or not, you never seem to progress past noting what needs to be done.
Either way, timeboxing can be the solution. Try it for one week, and let me know in the comments below how you got on.