Introduction
Once you've identified what truly matters, the next step is simple in theory, but much harder in practice: finding time to work on it.
That's where timeboxing comes in.
The idea is very simple: decide ahead of time when you're going to work on your priorities, and block that time on your calendar before someone else takes it from you.
Your calendar is your central tool
To organize your time, there is a tool designed precisely for that: your calendar.
And yet, in reality, many days are dictated by incoming emails, calls, chat messages, and meeting invites. As a result, you spend your time responding to others and forget your own goals.
That's exactly what we explained in the power of saying no at work: if you don't decide how to use your time, someone else will do it for you.
Reacting is easier than acting
If protecting your time is so hard, it's because reacting takes less effort than acting.
Replying to an email is easier than thinking through a strategy.
Picking up the phone is easier than giving constructive feedback to a coworker.
And yet, quick responses rarely move things forward. Deep work does: thinking, creating, stepping back. That's why you need to force yourself to block time for important tasks.
Reactive people vs productive people
Highly reactive people often look effective: they reply fast, are always available, and fire off instant answers.
But truly productive people work differently.
They block uninterrupted work blocks on their calendar, accept replying later, and produce more considered answers that save everyone time in the long run.
Being ultra-reactive isn't necessarily a good sign.
Make appointments with yourself
A calendar isn't only for meetings with other people. It should also include appointments with yourself.
When you define your priorities, you need to timebox them in your calendar. Those blocks are what prevents useless meetings, requests, and other people's urgencies from eating your time.
That's the logical next step after prioritizing your tasks.
Your calendar should let you decide, hour by hour, what you do with your time.
Block time... even if you don't know what you'll do yet
You don't have to wait until you know exactly what you'll work on to block time.
In fact, do the opposite.
A good reflex is to reserve time blocks ahead of time with generic names:
- "Work time"
- "Focus"
- "Do not schedule"
The idea is simple: protect the space, even if you decide later how to use it.
Find the right duration for your timeboxes
For timeboxing to be effective, you need to think about two things: a minimum duration and a maximum duration.
The minimum is the time you need to enter a real focus state. For some people, 45 minutes is enough. For others, it takes at least an hour.
The maximum prevents work from expanding uselessly. As Parkinson's law explains, a task will always fill the time you give it. Setting a limit creates healthy pressure and pushes you to be more effective.
Adapt methods to how you work
Inside a timeboxed block, you can use different methods. For example, the Pomodoro technique, which splits time into 25-minute sessions.
It works for some people, less for others. What matters isn't the method. It's creating uninterrupted focus tunnels, a topic we'll go deeper into in the focus and concentration section.
Conclusion
Timeboxing is simple, but extremely powerful.
Blocking time on your calendar means you stop reacting.
You decide ahead of time what you'll work on, before your time gets absorbed by other people's priorities.
If you only remember one thing: your time is finite, and your calendar is the tool that helps you protect it.
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