As small business owners, we have a lot of to-do’s on our plate!! And if you’re like me, you’re no stranger to ending some work days with more to-do’s than when you started!!!

In today’s episode, I’m sharing how I prioritize my daily to-do’s using batch days – so I can work in my business AND on my business!!

First things first: realize that projects and tasks are very different. Projects typically have multiple tasks under them. For example, a project is to launch a YouTube channel; a task is to outline a video for the YouTube channel.

Generally, projects are more in depth and take more time. If your to-do list if filled up with solely projects, you’re always going to end the work day with several left on your plate. If your to-do list is more task-oriented, you’ll see things getting checked off and start moving the needle!

Once you’ve looked at tasks vs. projects, that’s where batching comes into play. I batch to-do’s through themed days of the week, which helps me stay in the right mindset and know what to expect/ when to expect it. I find I truly “get in a groove” and am even MORE productive when I have themed batch days.

Example of daily topics:

Monday: Prep day! Admin tasks & Marketing

Tuesday: Content Planning / Writing

Wednesday: Appointments

Thursday: Appointments / Projects

Friday: Catch up! Admin tasks & Marketing

Action Step: If you’re not sure what your batch days should be, start by opening up a Google Doc and writing down ALL of the to-do’s in your head right now!!

I suggest having a brain dump of ALL the to-do’s (I love using Trello for this!) and then organizing those to-do’s based on projects, tasks, and batch days! Organizing those thoughts will help you visually see your to-do’s. While it might be a bit overwhelming to see them all in one place, it should help you organize them onto specific batch days so they get done!!

Brain dumping is important because it frees up your mental space; but it’s ALSO important to assign brain dumped to-do’s to projects & batch days so they actually get done!!

Once you’ve created batch days, it’s important to STICK TO THEM!

Don’t get sucked into guilt and try to make your schedule work with someone else’s. Of course there are always exceptions, but 9 times out of 10 I am ONLY accepting appointments on Wednesdays & Thursdays because those are my Appointment Days. I know it will throw off my productivity and workflow if I scatter appointments all day long.

When you have multiple revenue streams in business (or wear a lot of hats in just one business!!), you have to be STRICT with your time so that it’s possible to grow your business. Content Writing is JUST as important as a Client Meeting – having batch days for each will allow your brain to focus, make it a priority and get it done!

The last tip I’ll share about batch days is physically writing down the priority to-do’s for the day! Remember: these are TASKS not PROJECTS and you should only write down THREE. No more. Don’t overwhelm yourself before the day even begins!!

Every morning, I write down three priority tasks for the day on a hot pink sticky note. I place it on my computer screen so I remember where my focus needs to be. As I complete each tasks, it’s gratifying to cross them off my list!! If I get all three done, I move on to other tasks (yay!) but my plan is to ONLY focus on three. The goal is not to give yourself too many tasks to complete – the goal is to think small but mighty, and focus on what is priority for you and your business!!