Batching: The Ultimate Gift & Quentessential Freedom of Time

The rationale

We all have the same number of hours in a week – 168 hours. No more and no less. What we do with those hours can difference between winning at work and succeeding in life. Batching will enable you to take control of your precious time and use it with wisdom.

Batching is setting aside a block of time to complete a task. It may be one task or the grouping of similar tasks. Batching requires deep work. It encourages you to focus on one task, which can improve the quality of work and productivity. Batching can make large projects more appealing to tackle. However, it is not time specific. You can do some of the best batching in as little as 10 minutes time slots over a period of blocked out time.

I have designed a simple ‘Cheat Sheet’ on batching. It is a clickable link near the end of this article.

Quality is the new rage

Remember the multitasking craze? Multitasking was a failure. It may have increased the quantity of things you did, but often at the sacrifice of quality which is not good.

Multitasking as a failure – Quantity at the sacrifice of Quality.

Quality is the new rage … it is the precious gem we look for and hunt for. It is what we desire in most facets of life.

As previously mentioned, to produce quality in work, you often need to do deep work. Deep work requires the gift of time…not more time! Remember, you only have 168 hours in a week. It is using the time you have with wisdom and learning how to manage it. With the added benefit of freeing up hours of your working week for more pleasurable stuff!

How to “Batch” as a busy person

There are heaps of websites, books and blogs on batching – google it! There are colourful templates and infographics to help those ‘solopreneurs’ who have the luxury of planning their own time and daily work and life schedules.

As a teacher I do not have that luxury…the bells, the bells, those ‘?’ bells!

Teachers work to a timetable and much of our work time is planned for us by others. We need to eat, attend meetings, fill out forms, kitchen duty, playground duty, clean up our email box, drive to work & home. Once at home, a whole new set of time-consuming, but life-giving family items, begin to fall at our feet.

Does some of this sound familiar? I bet it does?

Finding time to batch can mean working outside the ‘set’ timetable we are given or we make for ourselves. However, better still, we can make the time within our timetable work for us in simple ways. NOT we work for/to the timetable.

But how do we do this? When can we create the space in our busy routine to do the quality work we need to do to achieve the outcomes in work and life we desire?

So as we can ‘win at work and succeed at life.’ This is described as the ‘double win!’ (Michael Hyatt).

There are several things you need to do.

1. Diary – Planner

From my perspective, one way is to block out sections of time in my diary before the day or the week begins. This time I will guard as sacrosanct.

For example, one day a fortnight, I only teach the first two periods in the classroom. I ensure I set the remaining 3 periods and the breaks with ‘batchable’ work. This can be one item requiring the gift of time for deep work. On go the Sony noise reduction headphones with deep brain music and I am ‘out of the office’ till I get my batching done. Studies show that with each interruption to deep work, it can take between 10-20 minutes to get back into the flow.

2. Create the ‘space time’ needed for batching

There are ways to create the ‘space time’ needed for batching.

But there is one rule! You should strive to get 7-8 hours of regular sleep at night. You cannot do deep work when you are tired. But how to find the time? Simple? Go to bed early and then get up earlier. An hour added onto the start of a workday 3-4 days a week can be a game changer. If you are a night owl, do it the other way! It still works!

Remember, batching is not time specific (short, concentrated batches are as good as long batches).

And do reward yourself. If you get a job done in one day instead of taking two days, then it will allow you to do other more pleasurable things. For example, like batch and binge on Netflix, play with the kiddies, read a book.

We all have 168 hours in a week. You be the one to dictate how you used it or others will do that for you!

I have designed a ‘Cheat Sheet’ to batching. This should help!

‘Setting the Scene for Deep Work with Batching’

To conclude…

Batching is great for individual work and for any group work you might do. You need to ensure the team is on the same page. Do step one in ‘Setting the Scene for Deep Work with Batching.’

What is the target? Line it up? And let the arrow fly!

Just give it a go! Start with a small parcel of time. Watch out for procrastination, which can sneak in as you attempt to batch.

Stay off the devices and social media… bury or switch off the phone.

Here are some recommended sites. Just do a google search for lots of great material.

Outstanding Book:

“Win at Work and Succeed at Life” by Michael Hyatt & Megan Hyatt Miller. More strategies to increase your productivity and make better use of your time…at work, in the home and in living life.

Disclaimer: I receive no commission nor any favours for promoting the good work of others! However, I love to share the work of my friends and others because they have blessed my work and life is so many ways.

Batching: The Ultimate Gift & Quentessential Freedom of Time

The skill of “Batching” is one productivity technique (hack) that can help you use time to improve quality and productivity at work.

‘Setting the Scene for Deep Work with Batching’

vickymcgahey.com

Question for Comment BELOW –

Have a go at Batching! Share your success or non-success below.