Harvard Timeboxing

Timeboxing is a fundamental time management strategy that involves setting aside a predetermined amount of time for an activity and completing it within that designated time frame. Once the allocated time elapses, you assess your progress toward the predefined objectives and cease work on the task. James Martin, the author of the book Rapid Application Development, initially introduced this concept as part of agile software development.

El timeboxing es una estrategia fundamental de gestión del tiempo que implica reservar una cantidad predeterminada de tiempo para una actividad y completarla dentro de ese marco de tiempo designado. Una vez que el tiempo asignado ha transcurrido, evalúas tu progreso hacia los objetivos predefinidos y cesas el trabajo en la tarea. James Martin, autor del libro Desarrollo Rápido de Aplicaciones, introdujo inicialmente este concepto como parte del desarrollo ágil de software.

Timeboxing to podstawowa strategia zarządzania czasem, która polega na przeznaczeniu określonej ilości czasu na wykonanie ustalonej czynności i zakończeniu jej w ramach wyznaczonego przedziału czasowego. Po upływie tego przydzielonego czasu oceniasz swój postęp pod kątem z góry określonych celów i przerywasz pracę nad zadaniem. James Martin, autor książki Rapid Application Development, początkowo wprowadził ten koncept jako część zwinnej metodologii tworzenia oprogramowania.

What’s the #1 Productivity Tool? For Me, It’s Timeboxing.

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. She experimented with timeboxing and found it came with great additional benefits, including: 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. 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). Providing a clear track record for future reference: You no longer need to rely on memory or hurried/scattered notes. Instead, you have a concrete record of all your projects and accomplishments from every week, in the form of your timeboxed calendar.

Harvard Business ReviewNeha Kirpalani