Timeboxing: Will it improve your time management?
What is Timeboxing?
Timeboxing is a technique that involves planning and allocating a fixed unit of time for tasks and stopping the task within the time frame. This technique allows you to be proactive on the amount of time spent on a task regardless of completion. Timeboxing was first introduced in 1991 by James Martin, author of the book Rapid Application Development, as a tool for Agile software development. He based the technique on Parkinson’s Law which states that “work expands to fill the time available for its completion.”
What tasks are suitable for timeboxing?
Important tasks that you want to prioritize
Tasks that you are not motivated to start
Minor tasks that you keep forgetting
Laborious or monotonous tasks
How do you timebox?
1. List all of your tasks.
2. Define goals for your tasks.
3. For important tasks that require focus, allocate at least 1-2 hours.
4. For hard tasks, allocate 20-30 minutes to make the task easier to manage.
5. Start from your first task, and work your way down
6. Stop when the allocated time is up.
7. Take a break.
8. Review what you've accomplished.
9. Work on other time boxes in your schedule.
Advantages of Timeboxing
Helps you identify your priorities
Helps you set limits
Mitigates perfectionists’ tendencies to extend time for tasks
Reduces communication overload
Gives you a comprehensive record of what you’ve accomplished
Helps you feel more in control of your time
Disadvantages of Timeboxing
Disrupts your train of thought or flow (Switching to a new task when you are deep in thought may cause frustration.)
Rushes you to complete assignments that require high level quality
You allocate too much or not enough time to complete an assignment
Timeboxing is not a “set it and forget it” technique. It requires you to constantly evaluate how much time you spend on tasks and make the appropriate time adjustments. Overall, timeboxing is a great technique to use to knock out all the tasks that lead you to achieving your goals.