Timeboxing explained
Time blocking reserves time for work. Timeboxing goes one step further and caps it. When the box ends, you stop, review what you have and decide what comes next.
The cap works against perfectionism and against tasks that quietly swell. It is also how agile teams run sprints: the dates are fixed and the scope flexes.
Try it today
- Pick one task and decide how long it deserves, not how long it might take.
- Set a timer and stop when it rings.
- Write down what is left and either schedule another box or call it done.
Where it comes from
The Agile Alliance traces the timebox to Scott Schultz's Rapid Iterative Production Prototyping work in 1988. James Martin described it at length in his 1991 book Rapid Application Development.
Frequently asked questions
- What is timeboxing?
- Timeboxing is giving a task a fixed amount of time and stopping when the time is up, whether or not the task feels finished.
- Where does timeboxing come from?
- The Agile Alliance traces the timebox to Scott Schultz's Rapid Iterative Production Prototyping work in 1988. James Martin described it at length in his 1991 book Rapid Application Development.
- How do I start with timeboxing?
- Pick one task and decide how long it deserves, not how long it might take. Set a timer and stop when it rings. Write down what is left and either schedule another box or call it done.
- Which tools help with timeboxing?
- Tools in our directory that help include Sunsama, Akiflow, Google Calendar, TickTick. Each has its own page with pricing, pros and cons.