Timeboxing is giving a task a fixed span of time, starting a timer, and stopping when the timer ends. The box is the unit of work. The task is what you put in it.
A to-do list holds tasks with no time attached. You can look at it all day and do nothing, and the list looks the same. A timebox has a start, an end and a description. When the timer runs out, the box is finished whether the task is or not. What you did in that box is a fact you can write down.
That changes three things. You decide how long you will work before you start, so there is no negotiation halfway through. The end is set by the clock, not by how you feel. And every finished box is a record, so a day becomes a list of what actually happened instead of what you meant to do.
A calendar block says when something should happen. A timebox says how long you will give it, right now, with a timer running. You can schedule a whole week and still not start. You cannot timebox without starting. The timer is the difference.
The app is built around one action: generate a block. You write a category and a description, then pick one of six tiers by length.
| Tier | Length | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 to 6 minutes | Reply to one message. Clear the desk. Start something you have been avoiding. |
| 2 | 6 to 12 minutes | Review notes. Outline a document. Warm up before a longer block. |
| 3 | 12 to 20 minutes | One clear task with a known end. |
| 4 | 20 to 40 minutes | Writing, problem sets, a chapter, a workout. |
| 5 | 40 to 80 minutes | Deep work you already know how to do. |
| 6 | 80 to 120 minutes | Long sessions: an exam sitting, a build, a long run. |
The app rolls the exact number of minutes inside the tier's range. You choose the size of the box, not the number. That removes the last bit of bargaining before you start. The timer begins immediately and keeps running when you close the app.
Every finished block earns Exp based on its minutes and tier, and your level comes from your total Exp. Breaks are separate: you pick a fixed length, and each minute you use earns a flat 0.40 Exp, so rest is part of the record too. A live streak splits the day into 15-minute chunks and scores the ones where you spent at least six minutes in a block. Goals with deadlines sit above the ledger, and search finds any block by category, number or date.
None of that is the point on day one. On day one the point is that you started a timer and finished one box.
Then read how to timebox your day for the routine, or timeboxing vs Pomodoro if you already use a fixed timer.