Batch similar tasks to blast through your list
In the early 20th century, Henry Ford revolutionized industry by sending each worker through the assembly line to perform one task repeatedly. He didn’t ask them to build an entire car; they attached the same bolt or wired the same headlamp over and over. This systematic approach crushed inefficiency and let precision and speed soar.
Modern multitasking is the opposite: jumping between emails, reports, calls, and brainstorming. Neuroscientists show each switch costs up to 40% of your cognitive energy, thanks to attention residue. Clifford Nass at Stanford demonstrated that frequent media multitaskers lag behind peers on tests requiring focus.
Batching is simply Ford’s assembly line in personal productivity. Group your calls into one juicy chunk of the day. Put all your data gathering into a single session. When you stay in one mode—email composer or spreadsheet wizard—your mind gains momentum. Your brain remains in “that zone” and you blitz through each pile.
Adopt batching and you’ll feel like an industrial powerhouse on a personal scale. Over weeks, you’ll free up hours you never realized you were leaking. Batching doesn’t demand more energy—it preserves it by sparing you the cost of switching gears.
Pick three similar tasks you dread juggling—calls, emails, or research. Slot each into a dedicated two-hour block on your calendar and delete all unrelated tabs and apps beforehand. When that block arrives, you step into the same mindset again and again, like a skilled craftsman at his bench. By the end of the week, you’ll accomplish more with less mental fatigue—give it a try next Tuesday morning.
What You'll Achieve
Internally, you’ll maintain deeper focus and reduce the mental drag of switching tasks. Externally, you’ll slash completion times, deliver work in larger batches, and reclaim hours previously lost to context-shifts.
Group like-minded actions at once
Identify three task categories
Review your to-do list and cluster items into themes—emails, research, calls, or creative work.
Assign time blocks
Reserve specific slots (e.g., 9–10 AM for emails, 10–11 AM for calls). Treat these blocks as unbreakable appointments.
Close unneeded apps and tabs
Before each block, shut all unrelated browsers, mute notifications, and clear your desk of other materials.
Rotate blocks weekly
Every Friday, tweak your batching order so you keep your brain energized and avoid monotony.
Reflection Questions
- Which tasks bleed your focus most and could be batched?
- How many switches do you make per hour on average?
- What anxiety arises when you group tasks, and how can you ease into it?
- How will batching free your schedule for creative work?
- What’s one block you’ll batch tomorrow?
Personalization Tips
- A consultant batches all client calls into one afternoon session every Wednesday.
- A researcher reads three papers and takes notes every morning, then does no reading the rest of the day.
- A parent handles all family emails and logistics once weekly in a two-hour Saturday block.
Finish What You Start: The Art of Following Through, Taking Action, Executing, & Self-Discipline
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