Make Timeboxing Work for You

According to the “Definitive 100 Most Useful Productivity Hacks”, timeboxing is the single most effective strategy for better time management. It’s a simple idea – just set aside a predetermined period of time to tackle an important task that would otherwise get procrastinated, interrupted, or neglected.

For example, a business owner struggling to understand their finances could set aside an hour a week to concentrate on understanding how money is moving through their business. Someone with a goal of posting on social media more regularly could set aside a marketing timeblock focused on content creation and scheduling. A day’s worth of interruptions from the team could be concentrated into a single block of time dedicated to questions and coaching.

It’s simple and sounds easy – but lots of business owners run into challenges when they try to implement it. It’s hard to carve time out for non-urgent tasks when you’ve got a full inbox and the phone is ringing!

Here are three keys to making timeboxing work for you:

1. Put it on repeat

Like any good habit, timeboxing pays off with consistency. What are the key tasks you know you need to accomplish each week, and are they in your calendar? What does an ideal week look like for you? Setting a default schedule well in advance means you’ve accounted for your most important priorities – and gives you a realistic idea how much extra time you’ve really got for new commitments.

2. Remember 4th Period Math?

If you think back to high school, you were assigned a schedule with all your classes spread across the week. You knew exactly where you had to be, what you had to bring, and roughly what to expect from each time block. Using recurring time blocks can give you the same type of clarity. What it doesn’t give you is a specific daily lesson plan. In the real world, you’ll need to prepare your own. Let’s say you have an afternoon set aside for marketing. What exactly will you accomplish during that time? To get the most out of a timeboxing strategy, reviewing your time blocks each week and making sure you’ve got a plan for each one will ensure you get the best results.

3. Make a Commitment

The number one enemy of timeboxing is distraction. “Just 5 minutes” to wrap up the previous task, make a call, check email, read an article, etc can quickly spiral into a wasted time block. This is a strategy that takes discipline and commitment. Like building muscle at the gym, it may take some repetition and consistent effort to get results. An accountability buddy can keep you on track in the meantime.

Timeboxing can be a gamechanger when it comes to daily and weekly productivity. If you’re not sure where to start, simply tracking your time for a week or two will give you an idea of how it might help you, your team, and your business.

Contact me for a free time tracker – I’m happy to help. 

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This is Marketing: by Seth Godin

Seth Godin's "This is Marketing" shares valuable insights on marketing that can benefit anyone in business. "This is Marketing" offers a fresh perspective on presenting your product or service, no matter what it is, helping you connect meaningfully with the right people. If you're interested in enhancing your marketing approach, this book is a great resource to consider.

Check it out!

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