Time Management - About Time Boxing

Time boxing is a system of time management which
breaks down a long and complex task into smaller
pieces. Each piece of the task must be accomplished by
a specific deadline. In time boxing deadlines are not
flexible, but everything else in the project is.

In time boxing a large task is broken down into
several sections. Each section has specific guidelines
for its completion. When the boxes are first "laid
out", along with their deadlines, the project may be
very detailed. As each deadline approaches, if the
tasks first pinpointed in the time box are not near to
completion, certain aspects of those tasks may be
scraped.

One example of this type of time management system
might be to consider a script for a motion picture.
The scenes are laid out in boxes, with 5 or 6 scenes
to be completed at each deadline. As the deadline
approaches one of scenes may be dropped, in order to
finish the completion of that section of the project
on time.

Time boxing does not work in every instance. The key
element to this system of time management is the
deadline. In some cases if the deadline is not met,
the entire project is scraped as a result.

The system works best when a strict budget must be
adhered to, thus preventing the extending of
deadlines, in order to finish the work.