We often think we don’t have enough time to do everything we need to do. Yet there’s a principle called Parkinson’s Law that says work expands to fill the time available for its completion. In other words, if you give yourself all day to write a report, it’ll take all day. If you give yourself an hour, you’ll find a way to get it done in an hour.

In a world where we’re highly distractible, between our phones, notifications, doom scrolling, Slack messages, email, “quick” Google searches that turn into rabbit holes, and the constant ping of calendar reminders, it’s hard to stay focused.

What I’ve come to learn, both in my own work and in coaching executives, is that focus is power. For someone like me who gets easily distracted, time boxing has worked incredibly well. Productivity expert Nir Eyal calls these techniques ‘making time for traction,’ and the principle is the same: you work better when you work within defined constraints.

How I Use Time Boxing

I look at the clock and, using 10-15 minute blocks, I ask myself: what’s achievable in that timeframe? Not what can I work on – what can I actually finish? Then I just do it.

The key word is finish. Not start. Not make progress on. Finish.

Can I finish writing this entire article in 15 minutes? No. But can I finish the opening section? Yes. Can I finish outlining the three main points? Absolutely.

This shift in thinking – from “I need to work on this” to “what can I finish in 15 minutes” has been game-changing, given that in the past, I would drag out my work and it took much longer than it needed to. I’d tell myself I was being thorough. Really, I was overthinking. Perfecting sentences that were already fine. Researching points that weren’t necessary. A two-hour task would somehow take five hours. I was really good at ‘busy work’.

When I learned to time box my activity, everything shifted. I became much more productive, knowing that whatever I’m working on will come to a full stop when the timer goes off.

That constraint – that hard stop – forces clarity. It eliminates overthinking. There’s no time to perfect, only time to complete.

Why Time Boxing Works

The motivation piece is huge. When I finish that first 15-minute block and I’ve actually completed something—not worked on it, completed it—I get a hit of momentum. That carries into the next block. And the next one.

By midday, I’m excited by how much I’ve accomplished. That excitement compounds. I’m more focused in the afternoon because I’m riding the high of a productive morning.

Whereas in the past, I would beat myself up for how little I got done and was nowhere near as productive the rest of the day. I’d feel behind, scattered, like I was constantly chasing my own tail.

Now, I finish my work day feeling capable. In control. Like I did what I said I was going to do.

Try it.  You might just realize how much time you’re wasting trying to do everything at once instead of finishing one thing at a time.

How to Start

If you want to try time boxing, start tomorrow morning. Before you open your laptop, write down one task and ask yourself: what can I finish in 15 minutes?

Not start. Not make progress on. Finish.

Set a timer. Do the work. When the timer goes off, stop. Even if you’re mid-sentence. Move to the next block.

You don’t need an app. You don’t need a fancy system. You just need a clock and the discipline to stop when time’s up.

The stopping part is just as important as the starting part. Because the rule isn’t “work until it’s perfect.” The rule is “work for 15 minutes, then move on.”

That’s where the productivity lives – in the completion, not the perfection.

The Compound Effect

This excitement about finishing things continues to pay dividends for the rest of the day. When you start your day by finishing four or five small tasks, you build momentum. Confidence. Proof that you can do what you say you’re going to do.

Productivity isn’t about working harder. It’s about working within constraints that force you to work smarter.

Focus is power. And time boxing is how you harness it.

If you want to dive deeper into becoming indistractible, Nir Eyal’s book Indistractible: how to control your attention and choose your life is an excellent resource.