Time batching, doing one type of task at a time without distractions, has made me more productive. I’ve never been good at multitasking or switching between tasks frequently. I need a few hours to write an article and I lose the flow if I start to answer emails or, let’s be real, scroll through Instagram. Here are a few ways I’ve time-batched to become more effective and efficient.
Emails:
Instead of constantly checking my email, I’ve started to only check it a few times a day and answer as many emails as possible during those time blocks. I work for myself and none of my emails are urgent so it’s okay if I only check and answer emails a few times a day. When I worked in an office, my coworkers would constantly instant message me and email me and I had to be more responsive so I wasn’t a bottleneck but it can be tough to get the more important work done when you don’t have a lot of time to focus on the task. I always say that you can’t say “I’m always at Inbox Zero” when you are explaining why you deserve a raise and promotion.
Meetings:
I try my best to schedule all of my calls and meetings for one or two days a week so I can focus on writing articles, sending invoices, pitching, blogging, and other projects the other days of the week without being interrupted by having to commute to meetings or take calls.
Assignments:
I like to complete one type of assignment at a time when I can. I’ll send all my invoices for the month at once, write and schedule all of my Elana Lyn posts for the week on Sundays, and finish and schedule all my Forbes articles for the month in one week. I’ll also research and reach out to all of my sources for an article or all my Monster articles for the month at one time.
Meals:
This one isn’t work-related, but it does save time during the workweek so I’m counting it as time batching. I make a big container of quinoa and roasted veggies on Sundays so I can quickly add them to salads or make grain bowls when I’m home for lunch or dinner.
