Using timeboxing to boost productivity

If you’re looking for a better way to stay productive, especially while working remotely, then timeboxing may be the answer. Unlike traditional to-do lists, timeboxing is a technique where you sett aside blocks of time dedicated to specific tasks — once that time is up, you move on to another task. Check out these excellent Prezi videos from executives and experts to learn more about timeboxing and how it can help you be more productive. 

An introduction to timeboxing 

Before trying timeboxing for yourself, it’s important to understand how and why it can help with productivity. Jon Bradshaw, the President of Appointment, shares a great overview of timeboxing in his Prezi video. He explains the difference between “soft” and “hard” timeboxes, as well as a few of the pros (higher productivity and better work-life balance) and cons (less unstructured free time, potentially lost momentum). Watch his video:

Take control of your schedule

If you’re inundated with work meetings, you should consider timeboxing to help you focus on the most important tasks. For Tracey Grace, the CEO of IBEX, she was facing an out-of-control schedule, which included taking important conference calls at the airport right before she was getting on the plane. In her Prezi video, she explains how she used timeboxing to rein in her schedule and save time for non-work activities while still staying on top of important tasks: 

Create a work-life balance

Timeboxing isn’t just useful for work tasks — one of the biggest positives from timeboxing is the ability to set aside time for breaks and leisure activities. John Hall, the co-founder of Calendar, points to timeboxing as a way to help with everyday life and ensure that he isn’t losing himself in his work. See how he uses it in his Prezi video: 

Ditch the to-do lists

Many of us are accustomed to jotting down to-do lists to keep us organized and on top of our tasks. But to-do lists aren’t actually super helpful, argues Nir Eyal, bestselling author of Indistractable. In his Prezi video, he outlines three reasons why to-do lists don’t work: They prioritize the easy and urgent, not the important; they take away your enjoyment of leisure time; and they make you measure yourself with the wrong metrics. 

Everyone has their own ways of managing productivity, but timeboxing may be the solution you’ve been seeking if you’ve had trouble with work efficiency and your work-life balance. Have your own productivity advice to share? Create a Prezi video and tag it #productivity for a chance to be featured by Prezi’s editors on our Video Gallery.