I made up a new word last week to describe the effect a social media giant can have when their app sidetracks me from doing what's really important. The word - FaceTracked, should give a clue on what I was doing.
The rise of technology can distract any of us. This could keep you from spending quality time with your loved ones, or completing an important task. Fortunately, there is an Agile Antidote: Timeboxing.
The concept of Timeboxing is not new. As a single parent raising 2 teenagers in the early 2000's, I was introduced through the ultimate home organizer, FlyLady. Her ideas, like "Declutter 15 minutes a day" and "5 minute room rescue", made it possible for me to keep my home relatively clean AND be a great parent.
I never thought to extend this concept to my work schedule, but now I use Timeboxing for lots of my work activities, including writing, brainstorming, and research. I simply set a timer, and do whatever needs to be done for as long as I have available to me, without distraction.
Timeboxing made it possible for me to do more than I ever thought possible. Agile practices like Scrum use larger timeboxes, but even 5 minutes can make a huge difference in what you can get done. Give it a try, and let me know how it went!