Tag: batching tasks

Tools I Use: not-to-do list

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Lots of us have to-do lists.

Some of us schedule the to-do (task) with the time assigned on our calendar.

Fewer of us have a not-to-do list. Literally a list of things we should not do ourselves or at all. Why?

Our time is limited, and valuable and we don’t need to do it ourselves. Or eliminate the task all together. You could also delegate it or automate it. Find out how below.

Kudos to Tim for the idea of the not-to-do list. Tim Ferriss has his not-to-do list, which are great ideas.

What is on my own not-to-do list as far as tasks?

  • Creating lists of contacts/companies to reach out to (use Upwork instead)
  • Copywriting for marketing purposes (ChatGPT, yes, use a machine to do it faster and often better than a person)
  • Coming up with gift ideas (ChatGPT)
  • Scheduling calls with back-and-forth messages (All calls scheduled through calendly.com with my fixed availability for calls each month that updates with my one master calendar)
  • Recording podcasts asynchronously (Try Rumble.studio and record podcast interviews without the podcaster and interviewee speaking together)
  • Editing podcasts (use Upwork instead)
  • Proofreading or editing my own book (Upwork)
  • Technical tasks (Upwork that are not worth my time and effort to do myself)
  • Creative tasks (Fiverr and not pretend I am a designer)
  • Shop at many different brick-and-mortar stores for the same product (this is what Amazon or Google Shopping is for… to stop wasting your time).
  • Buying wet and dry food for my pets (Petco.com repeat delivery every three months solves this too)

What is on your own not-to-do list?

What to talk about productivity? Schedule a call.

How do I: batch tasks

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What is task batching?

Batching, task batching or batching tasks is simply grouping all of the same tasks at the same time. Doing all of the same tasks repeatedly and/or all together at once. Together is much easier, less time consuming, and more productive than using the typical start-stop-start-stop-repeat model when it comes up for the frequently reoccurring task. We all have tasks like this. It helps maintain consistency when necessary. It may be easier to schedule these batched tasks on a periodic basis.

For example, I write all the edits needed for my podcasts to be released next month within 1 or 2 days of this month. This can be on auto-pilot after you grouped up those tasks for the month and did all the work of figuring it out ahead of time.

You can document the process of said task and then possibly delegate that task too. Sometimes, when the tasks are consistent and exactly the same steps every time, the task can be automated.

For example, after converting them from XLSX files to CSV, I used to clean up the CSV files manually.  Once I figured out all the steps and the sequence of steps to clean it up the CSV, an Excel macro was created to automate the cleanup process. The macro was iterated when there was a new consistent challenge to be fixed repeatedly.

How to record a task and delegate a task

Figure out what is needed to do this task like pre-requisites, the sequence of steps, and the outcome when done.

Creating a written step by step checklist can help remember. Pilots use checklists for regular plane operations before, during, and after flights, as well as emergencies.

Chefs use recipes that are documented tasks and checklists along with their mise en place before they start to cook.

Documentation can happen as a screen capture video for a computer task, even while on a video conferencing tool like Zoom.

It can be a video recorded with you talking through each step, if not on the computer.

Even if you delegate a task, you can check the results on the given parameters that you provide beforehand and have them iterate if needed.

What tasks can you batch together?