Grouping Tasks Is One Of The Secrets To Productive Adulting
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Professional Organizer Nonnahs Driskill of Get Organized Already! pops in from time to time to share her secrets to successful adulting
Look at us! Out here trying to act like we remember how to go to work and to school and do life! Aren’t we all grown-up and having fun!
Okay, maybe not. Getting back to the grind is proving to be much trickier than any of us expected. I know that I had a lot of systems to keep my business running and now that there are fewer people on staff to help me do those things, it’s all gone to hell in a hand basket. Plus, I’ve got pretty cozy with my lowered productivity expectations for each day. You may be feeling something similar, wondering “How did we manage to accomplish so much back in the ‘Before Times’?” Or maybe you’ve never gotten much of anything done. Either way, I think we’d all like to get through our responsibilities without feeling like a grumpy stress-biscuit! To help get myself back on track, I’ve decided to dust off an oldie but goodie. I call it: Life’s A Batch. Let me explain.
Group projects by the Day of the Week
This method -- commonly called batching -- will help you be (and feel) more productive without feeling confused or overworked. We all have a variety of things to accomplish in our lives, and the more stressed we are, the less likely we will remember all of them. Batching is a great way to reduce the mental strain of juggling different projects. It also helps you stay more present from moment to moment, which makes us happier and also produce higher quality work. Win, win, and win!
Batching is Not Just for Cookies
Batching is secret, productivity-expert speak for grouping similar tasks to be done during a specific chunk of time. When following this system, if a task comes up that has to do with a different group of tasks meant for another day of the week, it has to wait. Here are some example categories:
Money Mondays — Check your bank statements and online accounts, balance your checkbook, pay your bills and credit cards, run payroll, check your portfolio, etc. Any financial responsibilities get handled on Money Monday. I put this category first in my week because I like to get it over with!
Errand Tuesdays — This is the day to run around. Get groceries, dry cleaning, library returns, Target, etc. Stores are least crowded on Tuesdays (at least until everyone reads this amazing article!)
Well-Being Wednesdays — Make those calls to schedule appointments for yourself, your pets, and your kids — and try to schedule them for Wednesdays too! Go to the dentist, see your therapist, get a manicure, reconcile health insurance statements (ugh!), book a yoga class, go for a run.. All regular body and mind maintenance gets taken care of on Well-Being Wednesdays. It doesn’t have to be all check-ups and doctor’s appointments. Sometimes, book yourself a spa day to mix it up and make it fun! And really, you deserve a massage, right?
Together Thursdays — Schedule social visits, call your friends, check your social media page. Basically it’s the day to fill your friend and relationship cup up!. Write birthday cards, thank you cards, read that thing your friend wrote, have a drink with someone.
FreeDay Fridays — I call this a free-day but it’s only free if you did all the other 4 days. If not, Friday is your day to catch up on the one you missed.
Here are some other options for things to group together without fancy, alliterative titles:
Volunteer work — This includes chores relating to being the room parent or team parent for kid’s sports groups and their school.
A creative hobby — whether you want to turn it into a side hustle or you do it just for fun, give yourself permission to do it by making time for it on a regular basis.
Other temporary work assignments. Maybe you are the executor of an estate, filling an interim position, interviewing candidates for employment. Assigning those extra responsibilities to one (or two) set periods of time will prevent them from taking over your whole day or week!
How to Remember All of the Things
When random things inevitably pop up and it’s not the day to do them, how do you remember them for later? You use lists of course! Specifically you keep a labeled list for each category in your notes app or where ever you keep your running to-do list. For some categories, like Money Monday (Did I mention that I hate it!), the list is the same every time. For others, it is always changing. It’s still helpful to have a list to make sure you don’t forget anything. Everyone gets distracted! Lists get you back on track faster.
Why Batching is a Game-Changer
Purposely performing similar tasks together increases your chances of finding a flow and a focus. Yes, thoughts come up all the time, but now, you can either do them (if it’s the day to do them) or add them to a list. Then you get to put them out of your mind completely! Win win!
Similar Strategy for Toxic Goofing Off
My smart friend told me about her self-imposed boundary around social media. She only looks at two sites, and those only on Saturday evenings. That way it feels like a treat -- like watching a movie on the weekend used to feel. And she doesn’t find herself lost on the internet for long periods of time during the week. I told you she’s smart! You can call it Saturday Social Media
Set yourself up for Batching success
Steps to start day batching:
First: Decide what is important to you. You might brainstorm all of the projects you want to work on. Then circle the top ones.
Second: Decide how much time and which part of your day to designate for working on your tasks. Maybe it’s the early morning, your lunch break, right after work, or late at night. I highly recommend that you leave one day as a catch-all, and I also recommend putting your task block at a similar time everyday. I use ninety minutes each morning but often don’t need the whole block.
Third: Mark these times off as recurring events on your phone’s calendar. If it’s appropriate, let people involved know which days you’ll be focusing on the project they are involved in. I use an actual timer set for twenty minutes when working on tasks I don’t like. That way I know it’ll definitely be over in twenty minutes! What I don’t finish will keep until next week. The ticking sound of a timer also keeps me honest, like an accountability partner.
Fourth: Refer to your task lists every day. This will become a habit after a few weeks. You will forget, sure. And it’s important to get back on the horse if you fall off one day or even fall off for an entire week. Please don’t beat yourself up!
If you are reading this I’m guessing you’re interested in increasing your productivity. At the very least you’re hoping to feel less stressed and confused while trying to be a contributing member of society again. I’m telling you, life can be a B*%CH but turn it into a BATCH and it will feel less stressful.