Last year, I started ' ' and, surprisingly, the approach stuck with me. I had tried different productivity methods/'hacks' before that never made much of an impact. This one did. timeboxing I had to modify it a bit to suit my needs. This is what I do: Monthly Goals Though timeboxing is a daily exercise, I start by setting monthly goals. I tend to use a simple format for those: Three categories (e.g. work, health, etc.) Up to three goals per category (e.g. conduct X interviews, go to the gym 3x/week, etc.). Daily Timebox In the morning, I use a paper notepad and write the following: . I re-write them every day. This ensures I keep a close eye on them and is a reminder to tie most (if not all) of my daily tasks to my monthly goals). My monthly goals . These tasks should be achievable but take work. These should absolutely point to my monthly goals. My three main tasks for the day . I break my notepad by hour from 6 am to 8 pm. My agenda for the day . Each box is 30-120min long. I decide where those tasks start and end (i.e. when I'm supposed to have them done). My boxes for each task Work Throughout the day, I follow my agenda. If something comes up and I must move a task, I cross it out and re-draw a box in a column next to it. It helps me review my days later and spot where I'm making planning mistakes. It sort of looks like this: Review I review my day in the evening before bed. I tick each task achieved. Then I start again. This approach has helped me a lot this past year. Its main benefits to me have been: Keeping a close eye on my daily activities vs. what I want to achieve long term. It's so easy as a PM to 'do work' and fill your day without progressing towards your long-term goal. Forced start & end times. I'm both a procrastinator and a perfectionist -- the perfect combo. This approach forces me to start and to finish. Truly planning my day (without cheating). I use paper because I can't go back and change my plan, which is easy to do when using an app or a calendar. I need to think about what I'll do which forces me to stay focused and realistic. really If you would be interested in a more granular breakdown of my methodology, I wrote my detailed . step-by-step process for timeboxing

Too Long; Didn't Read

Developers: Build Less. Deliver More. [Learn how]	

Timeboxing: How I Plan My Day (as a Product Manager)

Too Long; Didn't Read

Alex Debecker

About Author

TOPICS

THIS ARTICLE WAS FEATURED IN...

Timeboxing: How I Plan My Day (as a Product Manager)

Too Long; Didn't Read

Alex Debecker

About Author

TOPICS

THIS ARTICLE WAS FEATURED IN...

RELATED STORIES