Batching in Action: Two Real-World Scenarios
Let’s move from theory to reality. Here’s how two different professionals might apply the principles of batching to transform their workdays from reactive chaos to proactive calm.
Scenario 1: Sarah, the Busy Manager
The Problem: Sarah’s day is a constant stream of interruptions. She has back-to-back meetings, a never-ending flood of emails, and frequent “quick questions” from her team via Slack. She feels like a firefighter, constantly putting out small fires but never getting to her own strategic work, like team development and long-term planning.
The Batching Solution:
First, Sarah conducts a micro time audit and confirms her suspicions: email and Slack are her biggest focus-breakers. She implements a new communication protocol. She turns off notifications and schedules three 30-minute “Communication Batches” on her calendar at 10:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 4:30 PM. She communicates this to her team, letting them know she will be fully responsive during these times and that they should call her for true emergencies.
Next, she tackles her meeting schedule. Instead of letting people book meetings whenever they want, she batches them. She designates Tuesdays and Thursdays as “Meeting Days.” All recurring one-on-ones, team check-ins, and external calls are scheduled on these days. This frees up Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for deep, focused work.
Finally, she batches her managerial tasks. She reserves Monday mornings for a “Strategic Planning Batch,” where she reviews project progress and plans the week. She uses a block on Friday afternoons for an “Admin Batch” to approve expenses, sign paperwork, and complete HR tasks. The result? Sarah feels more in control, her team gets her focused attention during meetings, and she finally has the mental space to be a strategic leader, not just a reactive manager.
Scenario 2: David, the Solo Maker
The Problem: David is a freelance graphic designer. His work requires long stretches of creative focus, but his day is fragmented. He finds himself designing a logo for 20 minutes, then switching to answer a client email, then spending 30 minutes on invoicing, then trying to get back into a creative flow, then posting on social media to promote his work.
The Batching Solution:
David realizes he operates in three distinct modes: Maker (creative design), Manager (client communication and admin), and Marketer (social media and portfolio updates). He decides to structure his day around these modes.
He dedicates his mornings, when his creative energy is highest, to a single, protected 3-hour “Maker Batch.” He puts his phone in another room, closes his email tab, and uses a timer to immerse himself fully in design work. This is his most valuable time, and he protects it fiercely.
After lunch, he shifts gears into his “Manager Batch.” For 90 minutes, he does all of his administrative work. He sends invoices, responds to all client emails, and prepares files for delivery. By grouping these logical, left-brain tasks together, he gets through them quickly and efficiently.
He ends his day with a 45-minute “Marketer Batch.” During this time, he schedules his social media posts for the next day, updates his online portfolio, and responds to comments. This prevents the siren call of social media from fragmenting his creative time. By batching his tasks by cognitive function, David produces higher quality creative work, stays on top of his business, and ends the day feeling accomplished instead of scattered.
