There are a number of ways to organize your time, but one of the methods I genuinely enjoy and has proven helpful to me is time batching. If your aim is to boost productivity and focus, I’d definitely recommend checking it out. I’m breaking down the key elements below, so let’s dive in.
In general, time batching, also known as the Pomodoro method, groups like tasks into buckets of uninterrupted time. While the goal is productivity, it also allows for deeper thinking.
How to Implement Time Batching
- Identify shallow tasks (tasks that take minimal brain power) and deep tasks (tasks that require more intensive thinking and planning). Some categories could be: phone calls, responding to emails, reviewing contracts, creating mood boards, photoshoots, etc.
- Identify the times of day when you’re most productive and least productive. Example: if you’re a morning person and know you get your best work done in the morning, that would be your productive window.
- Now batch your tasks into their respective buckets. Put deep tasks in the most productive time buckets (i.e., in the morning or after your second cup of coffee), and shallow tasks into parts of the day where you might be a bit less productive, but don’t need as much brain power for the tasks.
- Once your schedule is set, try to stick to your buckets as best as possible with minimal to no interruptions.
Why It Works
According to The New Yorker, 98% of the people focus best when facing a single type of task, instead of multiple tasks. When you batch your time, you’re grouping like tasks, versus bouncing around from emails to calls to in-person meetings to brainstorming sessions. It allows you to dive deep into your tasks, versus skimming each task on the surface. Once you’re in the groove of a particular batch (whether it’s shallow or deep tasks), you can find the groove of your workflow.
Do you time batch? Let me know if you do, and what practices you’ve found most helpful in the comments below.
