What is time-boxing?
Time-boxing is a simple principle to plan ahead and motivate yourself. It may not seem like a huge breakthrough at first, but the elegance of this method lies in its seeming simplicity.
Everyone has experienced bursts of motivation upon a pending deadline, often resulting from mismanaged time. The concept of time-boxing is to write each daily task on paper and how long each task will take.
Knowing each specific task and how long you have to finish it removes any chance of procrastination and creates a sense of accountability. Being able to visualize the to-do list on paper and the boxes of time being checked as achieved will give you more satisfaction and raise your dopamine levels by creating a sense of accomplishment. At the end of your day, you’ll have accomplished more and be more satisfied with your work.
For example, if you have to build a 20-slide presentation, the task may seem daunting at first glance. However, by using time-boxing, the task can be broken down into smaller and more specific tasks such as 9-10am: create an outline, 10am-12pm: build slides 1-10, 12-1pm: lunch, 1-3pm: build slides 11-20, 3-4pm: formatting and review.
So, creating these timelines prior to executing a task allows for efficiency while increasing confidence in one’s ability to accomplish their goal through smaller and more manageable tasks.
“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”
Michael Altshuler.
Benjamin Franklin is one of the first known users of time-boxing. In his memoirs, he shared his daily schedule, which contained six blocks of time for, in simple words, getting ready for the day, work, lunch, work, chores/ socializing, and sleep.
Having a structure for your time in the old days was as crucial and is more relevant now than ever in the age of technology. Masters of technology Elon Musk and Bill Gates use time-boxing. Musk uses this method profoundly and has planned his long and busy day in 5-minute intervals.
“If you give yourself 30 days to clean your home, it will take 30 days. But if you give yourself 3 hours, it will take 3 hours. The same applies to your goals, ambitions, and potential.”
Elon Musk
Forming healthy habits is vital.
Developing and maintaining healthy habits is crucial to living a balanced and fulfilling life. here are some tips and strategies to help you create sustainable, positive habits that contribute to your overall well-being:
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Feel free to choose planning intervals that suit your schedule the best. It could be hours or minutes.
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Start with one day a week, and integrate it into a whole week as it becomes easier.
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Keep it simple, don’t focus on the details, and give yourself guidance.
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Keep going even if your schedule fails. You can always start fresh tomorrow.
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Time how long each task takes at the start, people tend to positively give too little time.
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Split tasks into subtasks. Doing so allows you to check more of your list and be more motivated.
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Be mindful of your energy waves, and plan the most important things during those hours.
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Have tabs on days you succeeded and did not, and adjust after analyzing what went wrong.
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Don’t give yourself too much time. Avoid Perkinson’s law: you will take up the most time possible. Remember you are in charge of your schedule and choose to follow it.
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Be as creative as you’d like, and use colors, apps, paper, board, etc., to create the perfect time-boxing schedule.
The most important of them all is to stay positive. Even if the day did not go as planned, you should acknowledge the fact that you did your best. Adopt a healthy mentality of rewarding yourself because you did the best you could, and if anything, you can do better tomorrow!
