Timeboxing is a time management technique where you allocate a specific, fixed amount of time to complete a task. Once the time is up, you stop working on that task, regardless of whether it’s finished or not. This technique has been a huge support in helping me to maintain healthy boundaries with my own work. No wonder it’s rated the the #1 most effective productivity hack by Harvard Business!

Here are the key principles:

Predetermined time blocks. You decide in advance how much time you’ll spend on a specific task.
Strict adherence. Once the time is up, you move on to the next task.
Focus. During the time block, you concentrate solely on the task at hand.
Flexibility. While the time blocks are fixed, the tasks within them can be adjusted.

Steps to Timeboxing:

Brain dump. The first thing to do is what is called a “brain dump.” Formulate your thoughts on paper and write down all those tasks that are floating around in your head.
Pick your top three. Prioritize your top three tasks from the brain dump. This makes sure you don’t overlook the most important tasks for the day.
Create your timeboxes. Assign each task a time. This process gives you a visual of how much time you need today to make sure your priorities are addressed and creates a designated time to work on them. It’s a great reality check and priority filter, too, for overeager entrepreneurs.

I often take a few minutes on Sunday evening to plan out my week’s work this way. Then, I do it again on a daily basis if something new has come up.

I think one of the things I appreciate most about timeboxing is when I have that sudden, “Oh no! I need to get X done!” I can remind myself that it’s on my schedule for either later that day or sometime that week, and I can relax and return to being fully present to the task at hand.

Sometime back, I read Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results by James Clear. It was in the early days of my work on Guide Garden. Creating this platform felt huge and sometimes overwhelming. I felt comforted when I read in the beginning of the book about the “power of the 1% rule.” Even making a forward step as small as 1% was still movement toward launching Guide Garden.

I had so many interruptions, some joyous (family visiting) to incredibly frustrating (hello, technology and customer support!) But I could still do at least 1% toward the goal. I knew if I could relax and allow that this is what the path looked like, in time I would see significant progress.

Whatever you’re working on, it’s okay to allow your productivity to progress in small increments. When you get frustrated, notice how it feels in your body—without judgment—and whether you are chasing after or trying to avoid something. Notice what emotions you are feeling and the chatter in your mind about it. This is just part of life and you’ll want to learn to work in peace with it. Learn how your body and mind respond to situations like this. While your progress may not be as quick as you’d want, you’ll grow in wisdom and hopefully increase your ability to remain calm even in the thick of real life.