Time-box everything - and I mean everything!
Got too much to do? Overwhelmed by choice? Stuck in analysis paralysis? If so then you need to get on the time-boxing train.
What is time-boxing?
If as a child you heard the phase ‘You have 10 minutes to get ready for bed’ then you already know what a time-box is.
Time-boxing is a time management technique. The time-box is a fixed amount of time that is strictly adhered to. In that time-box you assign a task/s to be worked on and when that time is up then you stop.
An example is a meeting agenda where you have 5 items to discuss and you set a time-box of 10 minutes per item. You start an item and when the 10 minutes are up then you move onto the next item.
Time-boxing can be used for any task and should be used for everything.
Time-boxes can be as long or as short as you need. In agile a sprint is a time-box of normally 2 weeks in which you decide what you will accomplish and at the end of that 2 weeks what is finished leaves the building.
No matter what happens the 2 weeks is fixed and the work done is being delivered, only what is on the to-do list changes.
Why time-box?
- It creates focus
- Makes decisions quicker
- It stops procrastination
- Stops multi-tasking
- It gets things done
It is surprising what you can get done when there is cut-off point. The most overlooked benefit of time-boxing is that it helps limit stress and create mindfulness.
Why I love time-boxing?
I use time-boxing all the time. Why? It makes you think in terms of outputs and results constantly. If you have 30 minutes to finish something you tend not to waste time or effort on anything that isn’t needed, or in my case I would endlessly re-work something (some people think re-working something is perfectionism — its not, it’s just a fancy way of explaining why you wasted so much time). Time-boxing can also help you get on with those tasks you’ve been dreading, because you know you’ll only have to focus on it for a set amount of time. Lastly, I love time-boxing because it can be used for anything:
- Limiting the amount of time you spend online (i.e. staring at your phone) or watching TV
- Setting aside time to read, enjoy hobbies or get that workout in
- Completing those boring tasks you’ve been putting off
How to do it?
The power of time-boxing is in its simplicity. Try the formula below:
- Pick a task you need to do
- Get a timer and set it to 15 minutes
- Start the timer and work on only that task until the time is up
- Take a five minute break
- Repeat
Give it a go for a couple of weeks and you will be impressed by the results you get.
