Timeboxing: Concepts and Principles

Understand the core concepts behind timeboxing and how it fits into your daily planning workflow.

What is timeboxing?

Timeboxing (or “timeblocking”) is a way to turn your task list into a scheduled itinerary for the day by scheduling your tasks to your calendar.

This approach helps you determine what work gets done at specific times. It is particularly valuable if your day includes meetings and other timed obligations.

Should I use timeboxing?

It is a personal choice. Timeboxing is especially beneficial if your calendar has meetings or scheduled events throughout the day, since it gives you complete control over when specific tasks are tackled.

Alternative approach: the playlist method

For days without many meetings, the “playlist” method offers a simpler alternative: create a daily task list with time estimates, order the tasks by the sequence you want to work on them, then work through them one by one. This approach provides flexibility if tasks take more or less time than estimated.

When should I timebox?

Timeboxing is best done during daily planning, specifically during the “finalize your plan” step. However, you can adjust your schedule anytime if circumstances change or new tasks emerge.

Definitions

• Tasks: Items created in Sunsama, either from integrated tools or created directly.
• Meetings: Calendar events that are already scheduled. We recommend importing these as tasks for an accurate workload assessment.
• Working sessions: Calendar events created when you timebox a task. They indicate your planned work periods.
• Planned time: Your time estimate for a task, used to set the working session duration.
• Actual time: Calculated via the timer or manual updates.
• Meeting-based actual time: Automatically updated to match the meeting duration after the meeting is completed.