A Quick Trick for Blowing Through More of Your To-Do List

Hiking with friends and family members is one of my favorite ways
to batch exercise and social interaction.

 

 

I recently rediscovered something that I often recommend to clients but somehow seemed to forget in my own life:
The Art of "Batching."

What is "batching?" you ask.

Batching is when you cross two or more things off your to-do list by conquering them at the same time.

For example, my recent batching exploits have involved blog-writing while watching The Bachelor and The West Wing, and dancing around the kitchen while cooking dinner to get my Fitbit step count closer to 10,000.

The beauty of batching is that it's designed for people who can't seem to find enough hours in the day to accomplish everything they're hoping to do (like me—and maybe you, too).

"Isn't batching just multi-tasking?" you ask.

In a way, yes it is. But it's more deliberate. It feels to me like there's a different intention to it. There seems to be a greater intention for joy with batching than there is with straight multi-tasking.

At the end of 2013, I hosted a free call on my 5 Top Tips for Battling Overwhelm and Breaking Free from Your Funk—one of which is practicing gratitude. I remember one of my clients telling me that in her state of overwhelm, there was no way she was going to be able to find time to do a gratitude practice.

My answer to that: Batch it, sister.

Writing in a gratitude journal can be done at the breakfast table while you're eating your oatmeal. Just like catching up with a friend can be done while walking around the local high school track. Or making your daily commute to work can include listening to an informative podcast or a great audio book you want to read.

The beauty of batching is that it often makes one or both of the activities you're wanting to accomplish more fun. And the payoff is greater, too. Two birds with one stone = a total rush of achievement joy.

Where in your life do you feel you're lacking time? And where do you see opportunities to batch line items from your to-do list—to ultimately gain time and get more done?