Get Things Done With Time Boxing
If you’re wondering why there’s so much hype about time boxing, well that’s because this technique is one of the most effective time management system thus far. So what makes it very effective? And how was it developed? For a very simple concept, it is quite surprising how powerfully effective this technique has become. Here’s a little bit of basic information about the said technique.
The “invention” of this technique can be credited to software developers. Even before time boxing was created, software developers work in an industry where projects have fixed deadlines and released dates, and not being able to deliver by the said deadline is simply not an option. And this is how the technique basically works: set up fixed amounts of time to do certain tasks and finish the task within that timeframe.
This time management technique is pretty much comparable to setting deadlines, except in a smaller scale if you’re doing it on a daily basis for your tasks. Instead of setting a certain date, you set time frames by minutes or hours. If you’re a new convert to the technique, you can start off by setting 10-minute timeframes for each of your daily tasks. All you need to do is focus on the one specific task for 10 minutes, and when the time is up, whether you’ve finished it or not, you’ll have to stop and take a breather. And several days after your first try, you can adjust the set timeframe according to what you need. This helps make sure that by the end of your shift you are sure that you got something done, even just a chip for each of your tasks.
If the concept is simple, so is the set up and use – you wouldn’t even need any hi-tech equipment for it. All you need is a simple alarm system and a list of your tasks. First, consider your tasks and make a quick estimate on how much time you will need to be able to do some work on each task. List down your tasks in a checklist form, and draw a box beside each. In the box, write the amount of time (in minutes or hours) that you intend to spend working on the task. Once you’re done with your list, set your alarm for your first task. And you’re ready to do your time boxing! Just remember to reset the alarm when it goes off after every task.