Timeboxing puts a hard limit on how long you spend on a task. Rather than working until something is "finished", you decide in advance that it gets, say, 45 minutes — and when the box closes, you stop and assess.
Why it matters
Work expands to fill the time available (Parkinson's Law). A fixed box creates healthy urgency, curbs perfectionism, and stops any single task from quietly eating a whole afternoon.
How to apply it
- Estimate a realistic box before starting, then commit to it.
- Treat the limit as real — stop and review when it ends.
- Use short boxes to break the inertia of tasks you keep avoiding.
- Compare your estimate to reality to calibrate future boxes.