It wasn't too long ago that multitasking was all the rage. Now studies have shown that focusing on one task at a time is much better. But we are still frequently distracted. I have read before that timeboxing is an effective technique but never knew how to fully implement it.

Here, Zao-Sanders gives detailed information on the importance of it and examples of how it works. He helps readers understand how a to-do list figures in and how to estimate time for tasks. He also includes general leadership, productivity tips, having a good mental state and more. I like the idea of making sure restorative breaks and rest periods are included.

I appreciate the estimated time given to read each chapter and the review of important points as well as reflection questions at chapter end. I do wish there had been more on the specific use of technology for this older non-teach savvy individual.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

"Timeboxing: The Power of Doing One Thing at a Time" by Marc Zao-Sanders is a transformative guide to reclaiming control of our time and attention in an increasingly chaotic world. Zao-Sanders' approach to time management through intentional and focused activity is both enlightening and practical, offering a refreshing perspective on how to navigate the endless barrage of distractions and demands in our daily lives.

What I appreciated most about this book is its emphasis on the importance of deliberate decision-making and prioritization. By adopting the practice of timeboxing, readers can learn to allocate their time and energy more effectively, allowing them to focus on what truly matters and achieve greater productivity and fulfillment.

Zao-Sanders' writing is informative and accessible, making complex concepts easy to understand and implement. The examples and case studies provided throughout the book offer valuable insights into how timeboxing has been successfully utilized by luminaries such as Carl Jung, Albert Einstein, and modern-day entrepreneurs like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.

"Timeboxing" has had a profound impact on how I approach my daily tasks and responsibilities. By dedicating specific blocks of time to individual activities and projects, I've found myself more focused, productive, and less overwhelmed by the constant influx of information and distractions.

Overall, "Timeboxing" is a must-read for anyone looking to reclaim control of their time and live a more intentional and fulfilling life. It's a book that has kept me up at night, pondering its insights and eagerly planning how to incorporate its principles into my own daily routine.

Marc Zao-Sanders has crafted a five-star masterpiece that has the potential to revolutionize how we approach productivity and time management.

"Timeboxing" by Marc Zao-Sanders helps you choose tasks, set specific start and end times, focus on one thing at a time, and finish it within a set time. Many successful people, like Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs, have practiced this. The book explains how to do this consistently and effectively. The method guides you on what to work on at any given time, helping you live a more intentional and fulfilling life. By selecting tasks carefully, setting time limits, and concentrating on one task, you can achieve what you desire in life.
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This book does lack in some aspects, leading readers to desire more elaborate clarifications and practical instructions for executing time allocation successfully. Although the writer mentions the advantages of this technique, like heightened efficiency and a feeling of fulfillment, readers might require additional tangible instances and real-life scenarios to demonstrate these ideas. While "Timeboxing" offers helpful strategies, it lacks new ideas and detailed explanations. It suggests dividing work into time blocks, a concept not entirely new. The book could benefit from more research and depth to provide a more thorough understanding of the technique. The idea of assigning set time periods to tasks is not entirely new, and individuals well-versed in time management resources might encounter redundant content

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Okay, this book. It had a lot of good. Admittedly, at its onset, it talks about how it was a blog post that went viral and so it was made into a book. Unfortunately, it feels that way too. It's a solid, solid idea, but it does seem like it was better suited to be the blog post it originated as. Does that mean I don't recommend it? No, I still do, but I think it could have been said in a lot less words. Either way, it's a life changing concept. Solid 4 still, for the idea.

Captivated by the concept of timeboxing, which I had encountered through productivity experts like Michael Hyatt, I eagerly delved into this book. Its structure, divided into four parts—Believe, Plan, Do, and Own—promised a comprehensive exploration of the theory and application of this intriguing productivity method."

Believe delves into the theory behind timeboxing, while Plan provides practical steps for implementation. Do encourages putting theory into practice, and Own focuses on habit-building and additional resources.

Throughout the book, the importance of maintaining a solid task list and utilizing electronic calendars is emphasized. As I experimented with the strategies outlined, I encountered familiar distractions AKA rabbit holes, but learned the importance of perseverance.

While I'm still evaluating the effectiveness of timeboxing in my own routine, I recognize its potential value, especially when coupled with a disciplined approach to task management. Although not suitable for all professions, the method offers valuable insights for those seeking to enhance productivity.

A key takeaway for me was the significance of maintaining a detailed electronic calendar, facilitating retrospective analysis and improving time management skills. As time progresses, this practice becomes increasingly invaluable.

I'm thankful to the publisher for the opportunity to explore this book. My review reflects my genuine experience, and I was under no obligation to provide feedback.

Timeboxing offers guidance on what you can, should, and will do at any given moment. This pragmatic and life-changing practice of intentional daily activity has been proven to yield what almost every human being wants a chosen, cherished life.

I had not heard of timeboxing prior to this book and I was pleased to learn about it. I may try to implement the practice into my daily life, but we shall see.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Essentials for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Solid albeit long and often repetitive summary of the timeboxing process. At times, too basic. It would be nice to have infused some consistent scientific findings relevant to productivity and learning. Probably a better pamphlet than a book.

This was so practical and helpful. Sometimes reading a physical "self-help" book can be hard for me but this was SO neurodivergent friendly. Each chapter starts with the chapter word count and estimated read time which really helped me not feel so overwhelmed. I'd tell myself that I would read one chapter (although i'd usually end up reading more) and then I'd read something else and in doing that, the author helped me learn timeboxing through that alone. :) I do wish it was slightly shorter but just took my time reading this one and I am glad I did!

I really enjoyed reading Timeboxing by Marc Zao-Sanders. The book thouroughly explained the concept of Timeboxing which is a way to preplan and organize your schedule for each day. I have been interested in implementing this type of schedule organization and planning in to my life but have also experienced some internal resistance due to my love of spontaneity and aversion to strict minute by minute scheduling. Even still, I have often looked back on a day and thought to myself, "I could have spent my time more wisely". This book gave me all the tools I need to implement the time management strategy of Timeboxing, and more importantly the belief that doing so will have a positive impact on myself and the people who I share my time with.

Timeboxing :The Power of Doing One Thing at a Time. This is a self help book aimed at making the most of your time and honing your ability to focus. The premise is Choose 1 thing, Decide exactly when you are going to do it, Do it exactly when you said you would. To many people it is not new, and they have been using a form of this method for years. However, for many people it will be a revelation, and a very helpful and productive method to learn. It is well written and easy to read, so for me it has been a great refresher.

Timeboxing: The Power of Doing One Thing at a Time by Marc Zao-Sanders is a non fiction read written to help readers master the practice of choosing one thing to do, when to do it, and getting it done. It is currently scheduled for release on March 18 2024.

Every day, a billion knowledge workers wake up, gravitate towards a pixelated screen and process information for eight hours or more, facing an endless and bewildering array of work and life choices. This book is a comprehensive guide to carefully and intentionally selecting what to do, specifying start and finish times, focusing solely on that single activity, and getting it done to an acceptable standard within that timeframe. This is the fundamental, transcendent time-management practice; countless luminaries, from Carl Jung and Albert Einstein to Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, have employed some form of it in their daily lives. Zao-Sanders provides an informative and accessible look at every aspect of this revolutionary method– how to do it consistently, and how to do it well. This pragmatic practice of intentional daily activity has been proven to yield what almost every human being wants most: a chosen, cherished life.

Timeboxing is a time and life management tool that can work wonderfully for many people. Many of us already do aspects of the practice to a certain extent- and this book explains how and why we might want to expand on it. I like the idea of it, and think and can be a very valuable tool. The author also touches on some of the problems and solutions for things like distractions, procrastination, and poorly chosen tasks for multi tasking. I do like that he emphasized to do what works for your work style and life. This type of tool is great fore many people in reasonably predictable positions or lifestyles. However, those of us in positions where our workday is more dependent on other people's actions (just about any service or customer facing position) would find this type of scheduling very difficult in practice. That being said, the tips and tools shared certainly were helpful when it came to the more predictable parts of life like groceries, taxes, bills, and finally calling to schedule that thing you have been putting off.

TIMEBOXING by Marc Zao-Sanders is essential reading for every one of us wanting to live a mindful, purpose-filled life. As a long-time productivity and personal management studies geek, I was entranced throughout this engaging, clear, forthright guide, more thorough and transformational than any of the renowned, highly regarded systems I have adopted and adapted over the years. Timeboxing is helping me to achieve goals through intentional planning rather than wishful to-do lists and action plans. Read it -- adapt it for yourself and reap the incredible rewards -- for me, one of the biggest surprises was how much time was freed for fun and simple joys when onerous and unrelenting deadlines and work used to consume all my thought, energy, and time. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

### Introduction

Marc Zao-Sanders is the CEO and co-founder of [filtered.com](http://filtered.com/), a learning tech company. He regularly writes about algorithms, learning and productivity in Scientific American, Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review. He has followed the practice of timeboxing for over ten years. He lives in London. Timeboxing: The Power of Doing On The Thing at Time (*January 2024, Penguin Random House*) is Marc’s debut book and explains his thought process how he makes timeboxing work for him and how it can work for others.

### Summary and Key Takeaways

**Summary**

Marc Zao-Sanders starts the book with an introduction explaining the why of this book: why he wrote it, why we should read it and why it is formatted the way it is. The book is divided into four parts: Believe, Plan, Do and Own. Each section builds upon the previous section and at the start of each chapter there is a quote followed by a title page that includes keywords from the chapter, the word count as well as the average read time per chapter. Each chapter concludes with a review and reflection section

Part One: Believe is the largest section of the book. This section covers the benefits and reasons behind making Timeboxing work for you. Topics covered include:

- what is timeboxing,
- what are the steps of timeboxing,
- the science behind timeboxing,
- how timeboxing shows you the past, and
- how it can help you lower stress, make you smarter, collaborate with others, improve your productivity, and give your life a purpose.

Part Two: Plan is about scheduling your timeboxing and letting the knowledge you gain in part one influence how it works for you. Topics covered include:

- covering the basics,
- your to-do list and how it affects your timebox,
- what to include in each box,
- how long each box should be, and
- where each box should go in the day.

Part Three: Do is about how to get the most out of the mentor and how to move through the steps. Topics include:

- doing your first timebox,
- going through the start, middle and end of a box,
- creating a mid-point and pacing yourself properly, and
- distractions.

Part Four: Own is about keeping up with timeboxing and making it work for you. Topics include:

- building a habit,
- using timeboxing as mindfulness,
- incorporating breaks,
- how it can improve your sleep,
- tools and tech, and
- how to know that it is working.

**Key Takeaways**

- Timeboxing is a system that can work for anyone as you design it to work for your schedule.
- It can be across all aspects of your life and can be adapted to fit wherever you may need it to.
- The book includes examples, as well as explaining the psychology and science behind its topics.

### Pros and Cons

**Pro**

- Zao-Sanders pacing of the book

The book is paced that you can pick up the book and read a chapter and finish it during a commute or a quick break. The other thing is being able to pick it right back up and not feel like you are off-beat.

- The real-life connections

This book was personal to Zao-Sanders as he shares his real-life uses for this technique. He shares his history of how this came to be and why it is so important to him.

**Con**

- Variety of examples

The book explains that this technique can be used for anyone but we don’t see examples of that. We see Zao-Sanders’ example of writing and business, but not for say a student or stay-at-home parent.

- Language

The book is written in such simple language that it leaves you questioning if you understood the material. Though some of the concepts in regards to psychology, science and business are written more technical. The use of language is not constant throughout.

### Overall Assessment

Marc Zao-Sanders's *Timeboxing: The Power of Doing One Thing At A Time (Penguin House, 2024)* is paced amazingly for readers who may not have tons of time on their hands but some of the language choices do leave something to be desired. The personal real-life connections allow the reader to see how this could change their life but the lack of variety in examples leaves some room for question if it would fit all lifestyles. I would recommend this book to anyone who may be interested in learning timeboxing from an author or business executive point of view.

### Further Information

Want to know more about Marc Zao-Sanders’s *Timeboxing: The Power of Doing One Thing At a Time* check out these resources:

- Visit [Marc Zao-Sandres Website](https://marczaosanders.com/)
- [Interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAlnlArXe0M) with Virgin Radio UK

**Stats**

*Timeboxing: The Power of Doing One Thing At a Time* by Marc Zao-Sanders

Published March 19, 2024 (US version) (Penguin House Publishing)

230 pages digital edition (available in digital, paperback, and audio)

**Where to Find**

[Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/158161255-timeboxing)

[Amazon](https://www.amazon.ca/Timeboxing-Power-Doing-Thing-Time/dp/0241657962/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1DFL2PF8GMH45&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.fQMLZRmk0WoNru3XEHaHERfr1q62HIhnIXgGJH2OcHTGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.V6AHgIh4DDBuTM57Jet1ykM-q5ghIhEwnyWPehW8sgM&dib_tag=se&keywords=timeboxing+the+power+of+doing+one+thing+at+a+time&qid=1710548639&sprefix=timeboxing+the+power+of+doing+one+thing+at+a+time%2Caps%2C151&sr=8-1)

[Kobo](https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/search?query=timeboxing+the+power+of+doing+one+thing+at+a+time)

Timeboxing by Marc Zao-Sanders shares the concept of blocking your time to focus on the important work that needs to get done and allowing the needed time but also not letting your need for perfection take you beyond that time.
As a friend says, there really are no new ways of time management because we all just get the same 24 hours a day. The question becomes do we spend our time in the reaction zone all day or are we intentional and focused about where we want to have an impact? Timeboxing gives a technique to help the reader be someone who makes things happen.

I believe this book can be useful to many and would recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Good book with a well done subject matter. It was slow in a few parts but nothing to bad. Just wordy and a bit slow.

Timeboxing by Marc Zao-Sanders is a comprehensive guide to carefully and intentionally selecting what to do, specifying start and finish times, focusing solely on that single activity, and getting it done to an acceptable standard within that timeframe.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio & Netgalley for sending me review copies of this book to read! I was reading this book and I thought it was interesting but I don’t feel like I got anything out of it. The author mentioned using a Google calendar and then choosing start and finish times and then focusing on that activity until it’s finished. I use a Google calendar to keep track of appointments but I’ve never used it to plan my day or my week. However, I could use my Google calendar to track when I take my dog for walks since I’ve been taking my dog for walks to the dog park in the neighborhood every day. I have a certain time I like to go and I try to go at the same time every day. When I get to the dog park, I stay there for a while and then I head back home after that.

Solid good advice, plan your time, fill in that calendar, block out 15-60 min boxes, including your time doing this. You get more done, have more time for life’s joys and you know what to expect and prepare for, it’s so easy.
There wasn’t much else to learn from this book. It was the same message over and over again, with little new information offered. I felt like the author spent much of his time selling me on his timeboxing concept. He has time markers at the beginning of each chapter telling you how much time you’ll need to box in. At first I loved the idea of this, but most of the chapters didn’t hold any helpful information just sales pitches. I didn’t appreciate them, I felt it waisted my time. He stated he used timeboxing to write the book, it felt like it. It was such a hard book to read for me, there was so much rambling for such a simple concept.
I have been using this method, well one nearly like it for years and find it extremely helpful in my productivity and time management. I really didn’t see the difference from time blocking to timeboxing, except maybe it’s more rigid ?
I really can’t recommend this book for time management.
I received a copy of this from the publisher for a fair and honest review

"Timeboxing" by Marc Zao-Sanders presents a compelling argument for the practice of allocating specific time slots to focus on single tasks, aiming to increase productivity and reduce overwhelm in our modern world of constant distractions.

Zao-Sanders offers a comprehensive guide to implementing timeboxing, emphasizing the importance of intentional selection of tasks, setting clear start and finish times, and maintaining focus on one activity at a time. Drawing on examples from luminaries such as Carl Jung and Bill Gates, the author makes a compelling case for the efficacy of this time-management technique.

While "Timeboxing" provides valuable insights and practical advice, it falls short in delivering groundbreaking or innovative strategies. The concept of dedicating specific time blocks to tasks is not entirely novel, and readers familiar with time-management literature may find some of the information repetitive.

Additionally, the book lacks depth in certain areas, leaving readers craving more detailed explanations and actionable steps for implementing timeboxing effectively. While the author touches on the benefits of the practice, such as increased productivity and a sense of accomplishment, readers may find themselves wanting more concrete examples and case studies to illustrate these concepts.

Overall, "Timeboxing" serves as a useful introduction to the practice of allocating time for focused work, offering valuable insights for those seeking to improve their productivity and time-management skills. While it may not offer groundbreaking revelations, it provides a solid foundation for incorporating timeboxing into daily routines.

Timeboxing is a comprehensive, well-researched book that addresses a universal struggle in the modern world: managing time in an increasingly distracted and overwhelming environment. It offers a blend of theory, personal insight, and actionable strategies, making it potentially invaluable for anyone looking to enhance their productivity, reduce stress, and lead a more fulfilling life. Marc Zao-Sanders’ emphasis on simplicity, along with the methodical structure of the book, makes the concept of timeboxing accessible and practical for a wide audience, from busy professionals to students, and even those in personal endeavors. A must-read for individuals seeking to gain control over their time, work more efficiently, and live more mindfully.

This is great. I’ve heard of this by other names, but appreciated the clarification of what makes time boxing unique and efficient. The visuals throughout the book are very helpful and both the Review and Reflect sections make each chapter digestible. I have never been great at multitasking so I’m all for books that encourage single focused time. I received an advance review copy for free via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.