With timeboxing, however, I’m now able to prioritize what’s important (as opposed to simply what’s urgent). (Not to mention the dopamine high that comes from checking those tasks off.) On a long to-do list, it’s natural to pick tasks that are either easier or more urgent over what’s important. It enabled me to strategically prioritize. This allows me to use the rest of my day more efficiently. I’ve found a place for all kinds of activities on my calendar, whether it’s repetitive and time-consuming tasks like batch processing emails (around noon and again at 3 PM every day), or urgent requests and emergencies (which are given buffer slots, at least a few times in a week). Now, I know exactly what I need to work on, and when, because I’ve planned ahead of time. For me, it’s removed the paralysis that’s induced by having to choose between a multitude of tasks on a seemingly never-ending to-do list. One benefit of timeboxing (one that I wasn’t expecting) is paring down those decisions, which creates more brain space for focused work. We all have to make so many choices every day. But organizing my time in this way has actually helped me optimize my performance, every single week. Here’s a sneak peek into what my calendar looks like these days.Īt a quick glance, my schedule seems overwhelming - even to me. If an urgent meeting or task came up unexpectedly, I rescheduled my priorities accordingly. At the end of the workday, I would reflect on how much progress I had made and iterate my schedule as needed. Every week, I would take a few new tasks from my to-do list, estimate how long each would take, and then block that time on my calendar. I gave myself a fortnight to get used to the process. I began experimenting with timeboxing on a small scale. Simply put, it gives you a plan for what to do, and when. It involves translating a to-do list into blocks of time on your calendar, scheduling them, and sticking to that schedule. Timeboxing is a term taken from agile project management and has been recognized as the most useful productivity hack. (People have been writing about it for a while now.) Still, it has been the most useful tool in my kit this year and I would encourage anyone struggling to juggle their work with the hours in their day to give into the advice and try it. I took the online course, Becoming Indistractible, taught by former Stanford lecturer Nir Eyal, and finally, I have found a solution. Naturally, I went in search of a newer, better productivity hack to get back on track. When unfinished personal projects and assignments begin to fall by the wayside, I think we can all agree - it’s not a great feeling. Often, I found myself carrying forward tasks that should “be done today” to tomorrow, and then the next day, and the day after that. Combining these with my various side projects and participation in other work inititatives required me to be much more efficient with my time. The array of new responsibilities threw my (highly) organized schedule off kilter. I got promoted, and as a rising leader within my organization, I took on managing a function in our marketing department. This year, however, my productivity was put to the test. I adore my planner so much, I have considered taking our relationship to the next level by investing in a bullet journal. On days when all my tasks are complete, I feel like a champion. To-do lists give me a sense of real satisfaction. I read voraciously on the subject, seek out skilled friends for advice, and have taken online courses to master the latest tactics. Instead, you have a concrete record of all your projects and accomplishments from every week, in the form of your timeboxed calendar.Ĭonfession: I’m a productivity nerd. Providing a clear track record for future reference: You no longer need to rely on memory or hurried/scattered notes.Enabling strategic prioritization: On a long to-do list, it’s natural to pick tasks that are either easier or more urgent, over what’s important. With timeboxing, you can prioritize what’s important (as opposed to simply what’s urgent).Removing the paradox of choice: We all have to make so many choices every day, and one benefit of timeboxing is removing the paralysis that’s induced by having to choose between a multitude of tasks on a seemingly never-ending to-do list.She experimented with timeboxing and found it came with great additional benefits, including: Do you often find yourself carrying forward tasks that should be done today to tomorrow, and then the next day, and then the day after that? To-do lists gave the author, Neha Kirpalani, a sense of real satisfaction, until she was promoted at work and the array of new responsibilities she eagerly wanted to excel at were throwing her (highly) organized schedule off kilter.
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