Advanced time-boxing strategies

Remember the last time you finished everything on your to-do list and how great it felt?

You don’t??

Neither do I!

That was a trick question. Because it never happens.

While everyone has their own opinions on productivity, there's one thing we all unanimously agree on:

24 hours in a day just aren't enough.

That’s why prioritization and clarity are crucial. So, if you think you could use some help in that area, make sure to tune in next week when we'll dive deep into prioritization.

But today, let's focus on mastering the art of time-boxing.

It’s more than just scheduling tasks on your calendar.

Many of us who try time-boxing end up not sticking to the ambitious plans we’ve laid out.

Why is that?

• Lack of reason

• Poor prioritization

• Misallocation of time & energy

• Inexistent post-reflection and review

• Insufficient strategies set you up for failure

These points will be our roadmap today.

Let’s talk advanced time-boxing now. 👏

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Before we begin: Here’s what you might have missed in March

• In issue #34 of The Productivist, I shared how you can optimize your language to boost happiness, confidence and performance. Access the full issue here.

• In issue #33, you learnt 6 mental models that high performers have embedded into their decision-making. Access the full issue here.

• In issue #32, you discovered my happiness toolkit. Check it out here.

• In issue #31, I convinced you that the mindset we have about stress is what determines whether it is helping or destroying your productivity. Read it here.

Which one was your March favourite? Just hit reply and let me know! 🫶

Big idea #1: The right reason

Have you tried time-boxing, but found that you don’t have enough discipline to follow through on the plan?

If you are nodding, you’ll be surprised to learn that…

Your discipline is NOT the problem.

The problem is:
→ The motive you have to try time-boxing.
→ The nature of tasks you use it for.

Think about it, why did you give time-boxing a try?

(i) To help you get more done.
(ii) To make you more productive.
(iii) To have an organized plan to follow.

Oh wow. Yes. These are the sexiest reasons I’ve ever heard. 🫠 I can’t believe these didn’t work. (sarcasm)

Let’s try this again.

We need to think big-picture.

Time-boxing and any other time and energy management advice you’ll ever hear from me is NEVER about getting more things done.

It’s about being intentional with where you direct your attention.

Time-boxing = Setting the intention for your attention.

Here’s the mindset with which I approach my time-boxing:
(feel free to steal it)

• My goal is to guide my attention,

• ensuring my non-negotiables get the time and energy they deserve and

• my key projects which will unlock my next level of success, growth, and contribution - all get done, joyfully.

If you don’t set an intention for what you want to focus on in a given time frame:

• You will get distracted.

• You will procrastinate.

• You will prioritize the wrong task.

You will choose an easier task over the one that’s going to challenge you.
You will choose a fake-urgent task over the one that’s more important.

Essentially, time-boxing is about defining what a productive and successful day looks like before it unfolds.

Where do you start? 👇

Big idea #2: The right order

Imagine your day as the popular rocks, pebbles, and sand story illustrates. (If you're unfamiliar with this analogy, I recommend checking out the link.)

Here's the order I highly recommend for effective time-boxing:

1. First, prioritize your non-negotiables in life:
   • Relationships (date nights, family dinners, outings with friends, etc)

   • Physical health (sleep, nutritious meals, exercise, etc)
   • Mental health (personal time, etc)

2. Next, schedule your commitments — those meetings, appointments, and events you've agreed to, including travel time.

3. Then, focus on what moves the needle.
   Identify the tasks critical to your priority projects. If they're not scheduled, they’re likely not to get done.

4. Only then, allocate time for other tasks. as time allows.

PRO TIP: Reflect on whether you need stronger boundaries when it comes to the second point: meetings and other social commitments.

I want you to be the kind of person who follows through on what they previously agreed to; however, I also want you to be a person who thrives without burning out.

If you're stretched thin, let NO be your default to new invitations. Reconsider only if you genuinely have the time, desire, and see a clear benefit. Play a long-term game.

Big idea #3: The right energy

Time-boxing mistake #3…

→ Ignoring that various tasks demand different:

• Levels of focus

• Amounts of energy

• Cognitive resources 

Deep work vs. Routine work

Deep work thrives on:

• Heightened focus

• High energy level

• Sufficient time to enter a flow state

Attempting to dive into deep work right after a long meeting? That’s a recipe for frustration, given the likely deficit in energy and focus.

And the 25-minute Pomodoro technique? Far too brief for tasks requiring deep immersion.

On the flip side, routine work fits neatly into those post-meeting slots or within those concise 25-minute intervals.

Analytical work vs. Creative work

This is where we distinguish between cognitive demands.

• Creative tasks lean on your capacity for innovation and imagination, potentially more draining and best suited to when you’re feeling most open to new ideas.

  
  

• Analytical tasks, however, call for logic and precision, fitting neatly into times when you’re at your most alert and detail-oriented.

PRO TIP: Where possible, batch similar cognitive tasks — analytical with analytical, creative with creative — throughout your week.

This strategy enhances productivity by keeping your focus streamlined, significantly reducing the mental load (task-switching costs) and transition times between different task types.

Meetings

What about the meetings?

The short answer: You probably need fewer of them.

The long answer: Well, that might require a meeting to hash out. 🥲

Meetings are energy-intensive, demanding full engagement, focus, and a collaborative mindset from all participants.

If you can, be very intentional and reduce the number of meetings you attend and lead.

Filters to run every meeting by before you agree to attend:

1. Do I know my primary objective at that meeting?

2. In what way do I need to contribute?

3. Is my presence critical to the decision-making process?

Filters to run every meeting by before you schedule to lead it:

1. What’s the main goal of this meeting?

2. Does every invitee know that objective?

3. What’s the full agenda for this meeting?

4. Can this meeting be an email instead? (Is this a regular update that could be summarized in a brief report?)

5. Could this time be better spent on higher-priority tasks?

6. For each invitee, is their presence critical to the decision-making process?

Big idea #4: The right feedback

Improvement is unattainable without reflection and review.

Time-boxing sets the stage, but actual execution determines the performance.

Identifying discrepancies between planning and executing is crucial; otherwise, the cycle of misestimating resources continues, adding to your frustration.

Review your time-boxing effectiveness in 3 ways:

1. Time

   Was your time estimation for tasks accurate?

   Consider using tools like Clockify to precisely track task durations, providing a reality check against your estimates.

2. Energy

   Assess whether your energy levels were adequate for the tasks at hand.

   Recognizing patterns in energy expenditure can help adjust future time-boxing to match your natural productivity rhythms.

3. Focus 

   Reflect on your ability to maintain focus throughout a task.

   Difficulty focusing might indicate mismatches in task timing or order suggesting the need for reevaluation of when certain types of work are scheduled.

PRO TIP: Leverage your peak times.

Chances are, there are moments in your day when you're at your sharpest (great for digging into analytical tasks) or feeling most inventive and expansive (excellent for brainstorming and creative projects).

Identifying and aligning tasks with these peaks can dramatically increase your productivity and quality of work.

Big idea #5: The right way

Insufficient time-boxing looks like this:

• Over-optimistic task durations, especially for less appealing tasks.

• No breathing room in your calendar—every minute is occupied.

• Overlooking travel time.

• Endless back-to-back meetings without breaks.

• Batching tasks solely by projects without considering energy or context.

Advanced time-boxing strategies:

1. Schedule your priorities

• Sleep, meals, and personal calls (like checking in with your parents) should be non-negotiables in your calendar, not afterthoughts squeezed into leftover time.

• Designate time for activities that bring joy and anticipation to your week. Your well-being is a priority.

2. Batch similar tasks

Imagine running 5 different car-dependent errands spread across the week versus tackling them all in a single outing. The latter not only saves time but also energy.

This principle applies to task management as well.

Batch tasks that require similar mental efforts or resources to streamline your workflow and boost efficiency.

Here’s how:

• Group by type: Allocate specific blocks of time for creative tasks separately from analytical tasks.

• Phone-dependent tasks: If certain tasks demand your phone, batch these together. For all other times, keep your phone out of sight to minimize distractions.

• Decision batching: Plan your meals for the entire week in a single session and do the same with scheduling workouts. This approach not only saves time but also reduces your daily decision fatigue.

3. Add buffers

Add buffers between tasks and meetings to allow for transition, reflection, or overrun.

4. End-of-day buffer hour

I recommend dedicating at least an hour at the end of a workday to:

• catch-up on tasks if any

• plan your day for tomorrow

• check your inbox one last time

• review tomorrow’s appointments

• check in with the team one last time

5. Have systems in place to handle other people’s emergencies

Prepare for inevitable emergencies with auto-replies or templates for quick, customized responses.

Reflection & review: Learning from past emergencies helps predict and plan for future ones.

6. Commit to one task at a time

• Close all other tabs.

• Remove all distractions.

• Leave your phone in another room.

7. Work in 50-minute distraction-free blocks

Break down priority projects into manageable tasks that fit within 50-minute, distraction-free intervals.

This method promotes deep work and progress tracking.

8. Leave room around meetings for pre- and post-tasks

• Pre-meeting: travel, setting up a virtual meeting, reviewing the agenda, etc.

• Post-meeting: minutes, follow-up actions, decompression, etc.

The Productivist Challenge: Experiment with time-boxing this week.

Remember, productivity is all about experimentation, as the strategies that resonate with one person might not suit another.

This week, I challenge you to give advanced time-boxing a try.

Start small — like incorporating your sleep schedule and meal times into your calendar, or dedicating just one day this week to advanced time-boxing.

Experimenting means:

• staying open-minded,

• continuously gathering feedback, and

• refining your strategy.

Don't let setbacks discourage you.

Each day is a new opportunity to tweak, enhance, and move closer to your optimal productivity rhythm.

The Productivist Question

The most underrated question in productivity to ask yourself every morning:

• How will you know it was a productive day?

Do you have a time slot dedicated to personal and professional growth? Is it when you read this newsletter? 🙃

Have a productive week ahead!

Valeriya

PS: Warm welcome to all the new joiners! DM me on LinkedIn to say hi!

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