How to Get Things Done

Task Batching

Let’s talk about what to do when there are many things on your to-do list.  After you look at the long list of things that can’t possibly all get done today, what do you do?

• Do you start at the top of the list and work on the things one at a time?

• Do you pick and choose just the things that you like doing?  (raise your hand if this is you)

• Do you start with the hardest thing on the list?

• Do you toss your to-do list and binge on Netflix? 

I will be the first to raise my hand and admit to doing all of these things.  When I work from a list I am not very productive. I needed to do something different, because what I was doing was not working very well.  I wasn’t getting things done like I wanted.  I was easily distracted and it took longer for me to start the next task.  I discovered something called batching tasks and this sounded like something that would work.

What is task batching?

Batching tasks means that I would focus on one type of task at a time.  When we focus on one thing at a time, we are able to get more done because we are focusing on just one thing.  For example, making all the phone calls on my list at once.  This keeps me focused on one thing and not jumping from activity to activity and back again.

What types of tasks can I batch?

Examples of tasks that can be batched are:  phone calls, errands, shopping, paying bills, doing laundry, cleaning, gift wrapping, and yard work.  

When you are focusing on one thing, you will do that task faster than jumping between tasks. 

This means that you will spend less time doing that task because you aren’t jumping from task to task.

You can get more done by using task batching.

If you’ve never batched your tasks before, this week I’d like you to try it.  What is one task that you can batch this week?  I would like to know how it goes.

The benefit is that you will save time, and you will be glad you did!

I need help getting things done!!!

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