Timeboxing for Creative Work
Posted on May 18, 2009 by LJ Earnest
Categories: Productivity,Techniques
Mondays are productivity days at SimpleProductivity blog.
Timeboxing is setting an appointment with fixed start and end times in order to accomplish something. It has shown up in my reading in three different ways in the past weeks, and I decided to take a closer look at the concept.
I’m having trouble finding time to work on my novel. Once I went back to work, my morning writing sessions vanished. I can’t seem to find time – it’s partly because there is always so many other things to do, and partly because I never feel there is enough time for me to get into the groove before I will have to stop.
Why Timeboxing Works
By blocking out a specific time, you are committing yourself to working on the project. If you treat it as you would an appointment with someone else, you are solidifying your commitment to the work.
Creating the Timebox
The trick, I found, was to start small. I decided that timeboxing didn’t necessarily mean setting aside hours. Timeboxing just meant setting aside time. With my novel, it meant that I could work for a half hour. This isn’t much time at all, but at the same time is better than what I had been doing (nothing).
Scheduling the Timebox
My pet projects generally have to wait for weekends, or after my daughter has gone to bed. I decided to commit myself to a half-hour timebox on Wednesday and one on Saturday morning. The trick was I put these times in my schedule, setting alarms to remind me.
The Results
After two sessions of timeboxing, I have made more progress on the book than I have in the last month. I think timeboxing is necessary in order for me to get into the place where I can sit down and write fiction.
Photo by oskay
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Comments (4)
Thanks for the article! I hope timeboxing can be as easy as you make it seem. At the moment, my writing method is a little haphazard, and it’s described in detail in my blog.
How has your family agreed with your schedule? Or, is there any struggle getting the time to yourself?
Timeboxing really was that easy. My blog writing is done in bits and pieces, but the book is a different animal. I had no problem writing the rough draft for NaNoWriMo this year because I was unemployed. But then I went back and realized I was going to have to add on significantly, which meant re-working the plot. And that is the hardest thing for me.
My schedule really hasn’t had any negative impacts on my family. The Wednesday night session is after my daughter is in bed, and my husband is either working on his own hobby or watching television. (I watch very little tv, and I find that helps give me time to do creative work).
The Saturday time is done before anyone else is up. Well, the cat is up, but after giving him some milk he will usually sit on my desk and stare at me.
So since my family is already doing other things, they can’t complain about my lack of attention. Now, on the flip side, when I give them my attention, I really do give it. I’m not trying to write and pretend like I’m paying attention.
The plus with the schedule change, which came along with the Life Design 101: What Do I Want My Weekend To Look Like?, was that my weekends are no longer filled with household stuff. My daughter may complain a bit about having to run errands Friday after school but when she realized that it means full days of play with her friends, the complaining ceased.
TimeBoxing has several benefits. You mentioned that it helps to fight the fear of starting, by making the task less intimidating.
An other benefits is, it forces you to focus. And nothing is more valuable than a block of time where you are completely committed to work on what is important. Step by step, that’s how you reach your goals.
For those who use a Mac, I suggest you try out the application TimeBoxed
http://www.macmation.com/TimeBoxed
It’s a timer that was designed with a strong inspiration from the concepts of TimeBoxing and GTD.
Disclaimer: I am the developer of this app.
Thanks for pointing that out. The focus aspect is very important. I find that I accomplish so much in bursts of time when I know I can completely block out all else.