September 18, 2024 • 12 mins
Are you feeling overwhelmed by your never-ending to-do list, or stuck in a cycle of multitasking without making any real progress? In today's episode, we're diving into the game-changing method of batch working, a technique that's helping small business owners get more done in less time.
On today's podcast she explores how batch working can increase your productivity, cut down on decision fatigue, and finally help you gain control over that never-ending to-do list. Learn how to start batching your work and get more done in less time with practical tips and insights.
Get ready to identify repetitive tasks, allocate specific time blocks, and use the right tools to make batch working easier. Plus, learn how to avoid common pitfalls and ensure you don't overplan or burn out. This episode is packed with actionable advice to help you start batch working effectively...
Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast to support more women in their journey to living above the status quo. For more behind-the-scenes content, follow Julie on Instagram at @julie.pwdesigns , & don't forget to checkout my new website at bypwdesigns.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Are you feeling overwhelmed by your never-ending to-do list,
or are you stuck in a cycle of multitasking but not making any real progress?
Well, in today's episode, we're diving into a game-changing method that's helping
small business owners get more done in less time, and that's batch working.
Imagine a way to increase your productivity, cut down on decision fatigue,
and finally gain control over that never-ending to-do list.
(00:22):
Does that sound too good to be true? we'll stick around because we're going
to break it down to exactly how you start your batching your work and getting more done in less time.
I am on a journey to get better in all areas of my life, and I want to do it with you.
Welcome to the Being Better Every Day podcast, where we dig deep into all the
(00:43):
things a millennial mom needs to know, from how to juggle your passions with
your full-time job, to asking the hard questions about hormones and health,
and learning from one another along the way.
I am Julie Wenzelich, and as a mom, business owner, and corporate girly,
sometimes life can feel like a lot.
So join me in the journey of being better every day, where we create habits
and routines that support your life, create calm in the chaos,
(01:05):
and put the you back in your every day.
Grab those headphones, put on your shoes, and join me on a walk where we get
started with today's episode.
Welcome, welcome. Today we are talking about that productivity method that I
feel like I use daily and mostly regularly.
Subconsciously. I have always leaned into batch working, whether consciously
(01:26):
or not, and it helps me run my business on part-time hours.
So let's talk about why batch working is essential for solopreneurs like yourself
and small business owners and tips to implement it into your daily life.
So first of all, what is batch working?
It is grouping similar tasks together to complete them in focus sessions.
(01:51):
Now that sounds like really boring when you think about it like that,
but think about it as keeping your brain on task and getting one specific task done multiple times.
So an example of that would be writing all your social media posts for the week
in one sitting instead of doing it on a daily basis.
(02:11):
And I will tell you that is, I would say, my most common way of batch working,
but I do batch work in my corporate job a ton as well.
So batch working increases efficiency by reducing task switching fatigue,
which is, you know, think of it as the mental strain caused by frequently switching
between different tasks.
(02:32):
Studies have found that when we switch from one task to another,
especially those that require different tasks, types of thinking,
our brains need time to adjust.
This period is called called cognitive switching.
Apparently I'm not very good at saying that word, but cognitive switching.
And it can take anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes for your brain
(02:54):
to fully refocus on the new task.
I feel like I just grew up multitasking. So I do definitely still multitask
a lot, but I also am a master of batch working.
So each time we switch tasks, we experience a loss of cognitive momentum where
our brain has to like reload the context of each new task, which consumes energy
(03:16):
and obviously mental resources.
This constant SIF also increases the release of stress hormones like cortisol.
Okay, maybe that is why I should stop multitasking, leading to greater mental
fatigue and reduced productivity.
Over time, task switching can cause burnout, decreased attention span,
and a lower quality of work.
(03:38):
So batch working combats this by allowing the brain to stay in one cognitive
mode for longer periods of time, which leads to deeper concentration and flow,
and a state where productivity and creativity peak. geek.
By reducing tasks, switching, batch working conserves mental energy,
helping you work more efficiently and with greater clarity.
(03:58):
So, you know, again, if that hasn't convinced you, let's talk through other
benefits of batch working.
So first of all, definitely increase focus, where again, you're concentrating
on one task at a time without the context of switching.
So for example, I do this in P&W Designs when it comes to podcasting.
(04:23):
I will record multiple podcast episodes at a time because I'm in that mode of talking.
I always batch work my social media because I work full time.
I don't have time to post on the fly.
So if I don't batch it over the weekend, I don't post for the week.
I do it in my corporate job a ton.
(04:46):
Can't really give you real examples because I feel like that's talking too much
about what I actually do.
But I will say it is one way where I can carry the workload of somebody.
I have more work than technically anyone in the region from a revenue and perspective.
And again, I do it really efficiently and effectively because of that.
(05:07):
So because of that, right, batch working definitely does also save you time, right?
It eliminates the need to constantly get into the zone of those different tasks.
It gives you that mental clarity because again, that you're not having that
decision to fatigue and it should, right, also give you improved quality because
you're getting consistent results.
(05:29):
And I feel like I get in the zone, right? Like the first task may not be as
good as the last task because my brain kind of gets into whatever batch zone I'm doing.
So how do you start batch working?
The first thing you want to do is identify repetitive tasks.
So that would be like content creation, email responses, invoicing,
(05:53):
social media scheduling.
Again, I even do it with emailing, right? I'm always doing.
Specific, you know, an hour for
emailing, or I'm not really checking my business email every day, right?
I'm doing it once a week and kind of allocating that time.
So speaking of which, step two would be allocating specific time blocks for each task group.
(06:13):
So if you work full time on your business or within maybe a corporate job,
right, you can maybe do this more effectively than somebody who only works an hour at night.
But for example, those specific time blocks could be Monday for client work,
Tuesday for content creation, Wednesday for cleaning out your email, right?
(06:34):
For me, I will, in my corporate job, I will sometimes allocate on my calendar,
okay, these next three hours, I'm going to write client meeting minutes because.
That is something that I am way more effective and efficient at doing it when I'm in the zone.
So it works best if I can allocate a couple of hours to minutes versus just,
(06:55):
you know, 15 minutes here and there.
And step three would then be making sure you have the tools to make batch working easier.
So for me, I use Trello a ton to plan things out in my business.
I plan out social media content and I have a task list within each widget for
(07:16):
where I am within content creation.
So for example, I have to-do lists that automatically populate on my Trello,
whether it's a reel or a post.
And let's say for a reel, right, there's like seven steps from creating the
video, editing the video, uploading the video to IG, writing the caption,
scheduling it, creating the cover image, right?
(07:40):
And oftentimes what I'll do is I'll plan out my content as far as the subject
and then I'll record all of the video and then I'll edit all of the video and
then I'll create all of my cover images, right?
So I'm not doing a reel from start to finish.
I'm doing the components of the reel creation five times before I move on to
(08:02):
the next step. Hopefully that makes sense.
Again, same thing for podcasting, right? I will record both podcasts,
then edit both podcasts, then do the blog posts for both podcasts.
So again, each task within the outcome is something that I'm batching.
Step four is sometimes harder depending on the day, depending if you're a female,
(08:26):
depending on your cycle, but that's avoiding distractions and committing to the process.
So you could time block, you can set a timer, you can use...
If I'm struggling with concentration, I will use my walking pad.
Another thing that works really well for me is bilateral stimulation music and walking.
Well, I already said walking, but or other music, right?
(08:49):
So things that will, I don't know, kind of busy my brain in a different way
so that I can focus on the task. And.
So that's, again, kind of the four main steps for how you start batch working
and kind of how to approach it.
There is some downsides to batch working. So if you think about it,
(09:09):
definitely overplanning, right?
You can put too much pressure on yourself trying to batch too much at once.
And, you know, so you definitely want to make sure that you're not burning yourself
out by overbatching. You do need to take breaks every once in a while to make
sure that you're still providing quality of whatever you're batching.
(09:31):
The other thing is, is something I've been leaning more and more into is that
good enough is okay, right?
I think as a small business owner, we really need to make sure that we're focusing
on good enough, not perfect, especially if you have limited time.
So what's nuts. We talked about what is batch working.
(09:52):
We've talked about obviously the importance of it from increased productivity
to clarity to time savings.
I definitely encourage you if you're not somebody who typically batch works
to approach it from a standpoint of trying it out, whether it's a week, two weeks,
30 days, but identify one or two areas where you can start batch working and
then set up that schedule, right?
(10:12):
Identify the task, set it up when you're going to do it and evaluate whether
whether it really works for you or not.
Obviously, as somebody who hasn't, I don't know, sometimes I am not technically
neurodivergent, but it is something where it helps me focus.
It helps me stay on task in it.
And I attribute it to one of the main reasons why I can run a side hustle and work full-time.
(10:38):
And then evaluate ongoing. So sometimes my social media process will change,
or sometimes my podcasting process will change.
I'm recording this on a computer in California because I was in the mood to
talk and I could have waited an additional two days to record this while I was
at home in front of my microphone with obviously a better song quality,
(11:00):
but I pivoted and did good enough instead of perfect and I'm batching in an
evening when I'm by myself so I don't have the pressure over the weekend when
I want to spend time with my daughter.
That is an example of batch working for that batch working that works for me.
So remember, you know, give it a try, share out your, you know,
(11:22):
what you love to do from a batch working perspective or any questions you have
over on my social media at julie.pwdesigns.
I would love to hear from you.
And then over the coming weeks, we're going to start a new series for my passionate
small small business owners, and side hustlers diving into systems and tools
that can make your business work for you.
(11:42):
So stay tuned. There is a lot of exciting things coming for P&W Designs,
and I can't wait to let you in on it.
And that's a wrap on today's episode of the Being Better Every Day podcast.
Thank you for listening. I truly appreciate it.
If you've enjoyed the conversation, I'd love if you would leave a rating and
review or share it with your bestie to help me reach more women looking to ask
(12:05):
the hard questions and live above that status quo.
To see any visuals, head over to my YouTube channel. Links, socials,
and resources mentioned can be found in today's show notes.
If you're looking for more, you can find me on Instagram at julie.pwdesigns,
sharing the behind the scenes of my everyday life as a millennial mom,
corporate girly and small business owner.
(12:25):
Until next time, keep on taking one step at a time towards your version of being better every day.
Are you feeling overwhelmed by your never-ending to-do list,
or are you stuck in a cycle of multitasking but not making any real progress?
Well, in today's episode, we're diving into a game-changing method that's helping
small business owners get more done in less time, and that's batch working.
Imagine a way to increase your productivity, cut down on decision fatigue,
and finally gain control over that never-ending to-do list.
(00:22):
Does that sound too good to be true? we'll stick around because we're going
to break it down to exactly how you start your batching your work and getting more done in less time.
I am on a journey to get better in all areas of my life, and I want to do it with you.
Welcome to the Being Better Every Day podcast, where we dig deep into all the
(00:43):
things a millennial mom needs to know, from how to juggle your passions with
your full-time job, to asking the hard questions about hormones and health,
and learning from one another along the way.
I am Julie Wenzelich, and as a mom, business owner, and corporate girly,
sometimes life can feel like a lot.
So join me in the journey of being better every day, where we create habits
and routines that support your life, create calm in the chaos,
(01:05):
and put the you back in your every day.
Grab those headphones, put on your shoes, and join me on a walk where we get
started with today's episode.
Welcome, welcome. Today we are talking about that productivity method that I
feel like I use daily and mostly regularly.
Subconsciously. I have always leaned into batch working, whether consciously
(01:26):
or not, and it helps me run my business on part-time hours.
So let's talk about why batch working is essential for solopreneurs like yourself
and small business owners and tips to implement it into your daily life.
So first of all, what is batch working?
It is grouping similar tasks together to complete them in focus sessions.
(01:51):
Now that sounds like really boring when you think about it like that,
but think about it as keeping your brain on task and getting one specific task done multiple times.
So an example of that would be writing all your social media posts for the week
in one sitting instead of doing it on a daily basis.
(02:11):
And I will tell you that is, I would say, my most common way of batch working,
but I do batch work in my corporate job a ton as well.
So batch working increases efficiency by reducing task switching fatigue,
which is, you know, think of it as the mental strain caused by frequently switching
between different tasks.
(02:32):
Studies have found that when we switch from one task to another,
especially those that require different tasks, types of thinking,
our brains need time to adjust.
This period is called called cognitive switching.
Apparently I'm not very good at saying that word, but cognitive switching.
And it can take anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes for your brain
(02:54):
to fully refocus on the new task.
I feel like I just grew up multitasking. So I do definitely still multitask
a lot, but I also am a master of batch working.
So each time we switch tasks, we experience a loss of cognitive momentum where
our brain has to like reload the context of each new task, which consumes energy
(03:16):
and obviously mental resources.
This constant SIF also increases the release of stress hormones like cortisol.
Okay, maybe that is why I should stop multitasking, leading to greater mental
fatigue and reduced productivity.
Over time, task switching can cause burnout, decreased attention span,
and a lower quality of work.
(03:38):
So batch working combats this by allowing the brain to stay in one cognitive
mode for longer periods of time, which leads to deeper concentration and flow,
and a state where productivity and creativity peak. geek.
By reducing tasks, switching, batch working conserves mental energy,
helping you work more efficiently and with greater clarity.
(03:58):
So, you know, again, if that hasn't convinced you, let's talk through other
benefits of batch working.
So first of all, definitely increase focus, where again, you're concentrating
on one task at a time without the context of switching.
So for example, I do this in P&W Designs when it comes to podcasting.
(04:23):
I will record multiple podcast episodes at a time because I'm in that mode of talking.
I always batch work my social media because I work full time.
I don't have time to post on the fly.
So if I don't batch it over the weekend, I don't post for the week.
I do it in my corporate job a ton.
(04:46):
Can't really give you real examples because I feel like that's talking too much
about what I actually do.
But I will say it is one way where I can carry the workload of somebody.
I have more work than technically anyone in the region from a revenue and perspective.
And again, I do it really efficiently and effectively because of that.
(05:07):
So because of that, right, batch working definitely does also save you time, right?
It eliminates the need to constantly get into the zone of those different tasks.
It gives you that mental clarity because again, that you're not having that
decision to fatigue and it should, right, also give you improved quality because
you're getting consistent results.
(05:29):
And I feel like I get in the zone, right? Like the first task may not be as
good as the last task because my brain kind of gets into whatever batch zone I'm doing.
So how do you start batch working?
The first thing you want to do is identify repetitive tasks.
So that would be like content creation, email responses, invoicing,
(05:53):
social media scheduling.
Again, I even do it with emailing, right? I'm always doing.
Specific, you know, an hour for
emailing, or I'm not really checking my business email every day, right?
I'm doing it once a week and kind of allocating that time.
So speaking of which, step two would be allocating specific time blocks for each task group.
(06:13):
So if you work full time on your business or within maybe a corporate job,
right, you can maybe do this more effectively than somebody who only works an hour at night.
But for example, those specific time blocks could be Monday for client work,
Tuesday for content creation, Wednesday for cleaning out your email, right?
(06:34):
For me, I will, in my corporate job, I will sometimes allocate on my calendar,
okay, these next three hours, I'm going to write client meeting minutes because.
That is something that I am way more effective and efficient at doing it when I'm in the zone.
So it works best if I can allocate a couple of hours to minutes versus just,
(06:55):
you know, 15 minutes here and there.
And step three would then be making sure you have the tools to make batch working easier.
So for me, I use Trello a ton to plan things out in my business.
I plan out social media content and I have a task list within each widget for
(07:16):
where I am within content creation.
So for example, I have to-do lists that automatically populate on my Trello,
whether it's a reel or a post.
And let's say for a reel, right, there's like seven steps from creating the
video, editing the video, uploading the video to IG, writing the caption,
scheduling it, creating the cover image, right?
(07:40):
And oftentimes what I'll do is I'll plan out my content as far as the subject
and then I'll record all of the video and then I'll edit all of the video and
then I'll create all of my cover images, right?
So I'm not doing a reel from start to finish.
I'm doing the components of the reel creation five times before I move on to
(08:02):
the next step. Hopefully that makes sense.
Again, same thing for podcasting, right? I will record both podcasts,
then edit both podcasts, then do the blog posts for both podcasts.
So again, each task within the outcome is something that I'm batching.
Step four is sometimes harder depending on the day, depending if you're a female,
(08:26):
depending on your cycle, but that's avoiding distractions and committing to the process.
So you could time block, you can set a timer, you can use...
If I'm struggling with concentration, I will use my walking pad.
Another thing that works really well for me is bilateral stimulation music and walking.
Well, I already said walking, but or other music, right?
(08:49):
So things that will, I don't know, kind of busy my brain in a different way
so that I can focus on the task. And.
So that's, again, kind of the four main steps for how you start batch working
and kind of how to approach it.
There is some downsides to batch working. So if you think about it,
(09:09):
definitely overplanning, right?
You can put too much pressure on yourself trying to batch too much at once.
And, you know, so you definitely want to make sure that you're not burning yourself
out by overbatching. You do need to take breaks every once in a while to make
sure that you're still providing quality of whatever you're batching.
(09:31):
The other thing is, is something I've been leaning more and more into is that
good enough is okay, right?
I think as a small business owner, we really need to make sure that we're focusing
on good enough, not perfect, especially if you have limited time.
So what's nuts. We talked about what is batch working.
(09:52):
We've talked about obviously the importance of it from increased productivity
to clarity to time savings.
I definitely encourage you if you're not somebody who typically batch works
to approach it from a standpoint of trying it out, whether it's a week, two weeks,
30 days, but identify one or two areas where you can start batch working and
then set up that schedule, right?
(10:12):
Identify the task, set it up when you're going to do it and evaluate whether
whether it really works for you or not.
Obviously, as somebody who hasn't, I don't know, sometimes I am not technically
neurodivergent, but it is something where it helps me focus.
It helps me stay on task in it.
And I attribute it to one of the main reasons why I can run a side hustle and work full-time.
(10:38):
And then evaluate ongoing. So sometimes my social media process will change,
or sometimes my podcasting process will change.
I'm recording this on a computer in California because I was in the mood to
talk and I could have waited an additional two days to record this while I was
at home in front of my microphone with obviously a better song quality,
(11:00):
but I pivoted and did good enough instead of perfect and I'm batching in an
evening when I'm by myself so I don't have the pressure over the weekend when
I want to spend time with my daughter.
That is an example of batch working for that batch working that works for me.
So remember, you know, give it a try, share out your, you know,
(11:22):
what you love to do from a batch working perspective or any questions you have
over on my social media at julie.pwdesigns.
I would love to hear from you.
And then over the coming weeks, we're going to start a new series for my passionate
small small business owners, and side hustlers diving into systems and tools
that can make your business work for you.
(11:42):
So stay tuned. There is a lot of exciting things coming for P&W Designs,
and I can't wait to let you in on it.
And that's a wrap on today's episode of the Being Better Every Day podcast.
Thank you for listening. I truly appreciate it.
If you've enjoyed the conversation, I'd love if you would leave a rating and
review or share it with your bestie to help me reach more women looking to ask
(12:05):
the hard questions and live above that status quo.
To see any visuals, head over to my YouTube channel. Links, socials,
and resources mentioned can be found in today's show notes.
If you're looking for more, you can find me on Instagram at julie.pwdesigns,
sharing the behind the scenes of my everyday life as a millennial mom,
corporate girly and small business owner.
(12:25):
Until next time, keep on taking one step at a time towards your version of being better every day.
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