242: Stop Task Switching: The Task Batching Method That Creates Business Momentum (For Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs)

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Stop Task Switching: The Task Batching Method That Creates Business Momentum (For Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs)

How to stop task switching with task batching. Cindy Gordon shares the batch processing method for overwhelmed entrepreneurs who lose focus constantly switching between different types of work.

In this episode of The Overwhelmed Entrepreneur, execution coach Cindy Gordon breaks down the task batching method - a way to group similar tasks together so you stop losing 23 minutes of focus every time you switch between activities.

Overwhelmed entrepreneurs don't just have a productivity problem - they have a constant task switching problem. You jump from email to client call to social media to admin work, never getting into flow, and end the day exhausted without finishing anything important. Task batching changes that by helping you group similar work together and stop the costly context switching.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• What task batching is (and how it's different from time blocking - MAJOR difference explained)
• Why constant task switching is killing your productivity (the 23-minute focus recovery time research)
• The psychology of context switching costs and why your brain hates jumping between different types of work
• How to identify which tasks to batch together (the 3 types of batchable tasks for entrepreneurs)
• Task batching examples for business owners: content creation batch, client communication batch, admin avalanche batch
• How to stop task switching when everything feels urgent (batching is flexible, not rigid)
• Task batching vs time blocking: when to use each method and how they work together
• The Reality Check Method for choosing what to batch when everything feels important
• How to use task batching during your power hour (connection to EP 240)

Episode Highlights: "Did you know you lose 23 minutes of focus every single time you switch tasks? That's the hidden cost of constant task switching."

"Stop task switching and start task batching - your brain will thank you."

"Every time you switch from one type of task to a different type of task, you lose 23 minutes of focus. Task batching eliminates that cost."

"When everything feels urgent, task batching helps you group what's actually important and stop the constant switching."

"Task batching isn't just about efficiency - it's about building momentum by staying in the same mental mode."

"Time blocking is when you work. Task batching is what you group together. Use both for maximum focus."

🎯 You don't have to figure this out alone! The Growth Collective is your $1/day business support community with weekly office hours, strategic frameworks, and entrepreneurs who get it. Less than your coffee, more than a mastermind. Details at https://exclusivelycindy.thrivecart.com/the-growth-collective/

💡 Don't forget to subscribe for more quick productivity tips for overwhelmed business owners and female entrepreneurs!

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Connect with Cindy Gordon - Reality Check Method Coach for Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs:

• Website: ExclusivelyCindy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exclusivelycindy/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cindygordon

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Did you know that it's estimatedthat we lose 23 minutes of focus
every single time we switchtasks?
That's the hidden cost ofconstant task switching, and
it's killing your productivitystop task switching and start
task batching.
It's the difference betweenscattered busy work and focused

(00:21):
business momentum.
Hi, I'm Cindy Gordon, aself-made entrepreneur, busy mom
and execution coach.
I built and sold multipledigital businesses, ranging from
five to six figure successes,and one of the biggest game
changers for my productivity waslearning to batch similar tasks
together instead of constantlyswitching between the different

(00:42):
types of work.
So when it comes to managingyour time and priorities in both
life and work, I get it.
Before we dive in, if you arenot getting my weekly
productivity tips yet, grab themusing the link in the show
notes.
They are the behind the scenessystems that I use to stay
productive while running mybusiness.
I'm about to show you how tostop losing 23 minutes of focus

(01:06):
every single time you switch atask in just five minutes per
day.
The women in my community tellme that they work all day long,
but never actually finishanything.
They start out writing content,get interrupted by a client,
email, jump to social media.
Remember that they need toinvoice someone, check their
calendar, and suddenly it's 3:00PM and nothing is done.

(01:28):
You're not just busy.
You're constantly taskswitching.
Jumping from one type of work toa completely different type of
work over and over and overagain.
You have emails to then a clientcall to then social media, to
admin work, to strategyplanning, to putting out all the
fires.

(01:48):
Your brain never really gets tosettle into any one mode before
you're yanking it somewhereelse.
And here's what mostentrepreneurs don't realize.
Every time you switch from onetype of.
Task to a different type oftask.
It's estimated that you lose 23minutes of focus.
I'm not exaggerating here.

(02:10):
Research shows that it takes anaverage of 23 minutes to fully
regain your concentration aftera task switch.
That's the switching cost, andthat's exactly why you feel
exhausted and unproductive.
When you are completelyswitching between different
types of tasks, your brain hasto change modes.

(02:31):
Writing content uses differentmental pathways than responding
to emails, which is completelydifferent from bookkeeping and
which is totally different fromclient calls when you batch
similar tasks together.
Doing your emails all at once orall your content creation in one
session, or all your admin worktogether, your brain stays in

(02:52):
the same mode.
task.
Batching for entrepreneurs isn'tjust about efficiency.
It's about buildingpsychological momentum.
When you complete one email andimmediately do another, that win
creates energy for the next one.
You're in email mode and yourbrain is warmed up and that
momentum builds instead ofconstantly restarting.

(03:14):
So here's how we're gonna do it.
We are gonna start with ourtypical reality check.
So we're gonna look at yourtypical day.
So let's look at yesterday.
How many times did you switchbetween different types of
tasks?
Email, then strategy, admin,content, client work, then back
to email.
All of those things.
That's the scattered patternthat we are fixing.

(03:36):
Now, here are the three types oftasks that batch Beautifully for
entrepreneurs.
Type one is communication tasks.
Think your emails, your Slackmessages, your client
follow-ups, all grouped togetherin one focus session instead of
checking constantly all daylong.

(03:56):
Type two is creative tasks.
This is all your contentwriting, all your strategy,
planning, all of your bigpicture thinking, batched when
your brain is in creative mode.
The third type is administrativetasks.
So these are things likeinvoicing, scheduling,
bookkeeping, file organization.

(04:17):
So doing this all in one adminbatch instead of scattered
throughout your week here is thegame changer.
So instead of being scatteredall day long, you batch them.
Monday morning, you do a 90minute content batch.
Write all your social posts forthe week.
Draft your newsletter, outlineyour next offer.
Tuesday afternoon, you do a 60minute communication batch.

(04:41):
Respond to all your emails, sendall follow ups.
Update all clients.
Wednesday morning you do a 45minute admin batch.
Send all the invoices, updatebookkeeping, schedule your
appointments, I hear you.
You're saying, but Cindy, whatabout all the urgent things that
come up?
And here's the beauty of taskbatching compared to rigid time

(05:02):
blocking, batching is flexible.
Time blocking says client callsTuesday from nine to 11:00 AM
Task batching says, groupsimilar tasks together when you
do them so let's break it down alittle bit further.
I want you to identify just onetype of task that you do
multiple times per week.
Maybe it's responding to emails,creating content or invoicing.

(05:26):
Pick one type of task to batchfirst.
Don't try to batch everythingimmediately.
Next, you're gonna schedule twobatch sessions this coming week
for that one type of task.
So not scattered throughoutevery day, just two focus
sessions.
If you picked email, maybeMonday at 10:00 AM and Thursday
at 2:00 PM during your batchonly do.

(05:50):
Emails.
This is kind of a tricky part.
You might have to remindyourself no switching to other
work.
Stay in email mode for theentire session.
You need to protect your batchfrom task switching.
This is critical when you're inyour content batch.
You do not check your email whenyou're in your admin batch.

(06:11):
You do not respond to clientmessages.
The whole point is staying inone mental mode without
switching.
One type of work, one session,full focus, here's what I want
you to take away from today.
You don't need to overhaul yourentire schedule.
You just need to stop taskswitching and start grouping

(06:33):
similar tasks together.
Task batching isn't just aboutefficiency, it's about building
momentum by staying in the samemental mode.
If you like tips and tricks justlike this, follow me over on
Instagram at exclusively, Cindy.
Now go look at your calendar.
Pick one type of task that youdo multiple times a week.

(06:54):
Schedule two batch sessions forjust that task type.
Stop scattering it throughoutyour days and watch how much
more you accomplish when youstop losing those estimated 23
minutes.
Every single time you switch andremember, friend, you've got
this.

Speaker (07:13):
Thanks for spending these few minutes with me today.
Remember, overwhelm isn'tpermanent.
It's simply your brain's way ofsaying pause and take a little
reality check.
If this was helpful, you'll lovemy weekly email tips where I
share the systems that keep meand hundreds of other
entrepreneurs on Track Link inthe show notes.
If you got value in today'sepisode, please share it with

(07:34):
another entrepreneur who needsthat reminder.
If you're loving the show, I'dbe so grateful if you could
leave me a quick review.
It helps other overwhelmedentrepreneurs find us.
Make sure you hit subscribe soyou never miss your weekly dose
of clarity.
For more resources and toconnect with me, visit
exclusively cindy.com.
Until next time, remember you'vegot this.