Managing time with timeboxing: benefits, steps and tips
Do you need to organize your time and maximize productivity? In this opportunity, we tell you everything you should know to manage time with timeboxing. Learn how to implement this technique and what its benefits are.
What is timeboxing?
Timeboxing is a time management strategy that can help you increase productivity and avoid procrastination. It consists of defining in advance the time that you are going to dedicate to a task before starting to work, and respecting that time limit by setting a block.
Despite the fact that timeboxing and time blocking are quite similar techniques, they have an important difference that we have already told you about here.
Benefits of timeboxing
- Working more consciously.
- To avoid multitasking at the same time.
- Increase of motivation thanks to time management by objectives.
- To establish a predictable work schedule.
- To avoid lengthening the time that will be dedicated to each task.
Steps to use the timeboxing technique
- Divide work into uninterrupted blocks of time and add them to your calendar. It is important to define limits on the time that will be dedicated to each specific task. Also for personal or team time blocks, set a certain time.
- Make a list of your most important tasks and prioritize what you have to do during the day or week. To do this, you can focus on short and medium-term objectives and ask yourself how you can facilitate their achievement.
- Estimate the time it will take you to complete each task. You’ll have a hard time calculating the actual times at first, but as you use the technique more frequently, your estimation will improve.
- Respect the established times. If you decide that each block will last an hour and a half, finish working after that time.
Tips for using the timeboxing technique
- Prioritize the established blocks of time.
- View your available time to know the limit you have for each task.
- Turn off notifications or set “Do not disturb” mode.
- Take breaks between blocks of time.
- Save and organize your work in a management tool.
- Group similar tasks together to create effective blocks.
- Avoid distractions during the time blocks, to maintain concentration.
Before concluding, we assure you that managing time with timeboxing can be an excellent technique to increase productivity and work more consciously. Remember that you can combine it with other strategies, such as the Ivy Lee method, a good time management technique.