Experiment #2: We Need Stinking Batches! (Introduction)

I almost can't believe that the blogging challenge is over, and that I can start to focus on actual experiments again! I was half-tempted to delete the old posts from my failed C210K experiment and then reboot this newest endeavor as an actual Experiment #1, but I thought that I would be cheating if I did so. After all, the whole point of this blog is to focus on the process as much as the results. I found myself wanting to attack too many experiments at once, and I wasn't quite sure where the sword would fall. It landed here, on the one thing that I need to make the rest of my goals manifest: time. We all struggle with finding enough time in a single day to do everything we want to do, and it's easy to feel guilty when the "To Do" list has items left undone. I thought that finding some ways to free up time would allow me to get more done, hence, my immediate interest in batching and automation.

What is batching?

If you have ever read Tim Ferris' book The 4-Hour Workweek, his blog, or any of the related posts on Lifehack, you probably already have a good idea about what batching entails. Basically, batching involves saving routine tasks (house chores, email, etc.) for set times, and then completing them in bundles, rather than trying to accomplish little bits each day. As an example, you could do several loads on laundry on Sunday night, rather than trying to do a load each day.

What is automation?

Automation involves eliminating time spent on routine tasks by delegating and streamlining those tasks, using either human or technological assistance. A simple and oft-used example of automation is when you set up automatic bill payments through your bank, rather than paying each individual bill online or via mail.

The Experiment

Each day during the month of May, I am going to attempt to batch or automate one routine task. Ultimately, this experiment attempts to answer (number) key questions:

1. How much time can I save each day/week/month by batching and automating tasks? (I will need to record times as best as I can to compare them against my estimates for each task.)
   
2. How will this affect my tendency to avoid overwhelm, guilt, or avoidance associated with completing or failing to complete routine and necessary tasks? (I will also need to record emotional responses to the experiment.)
   
3. What are the overall benefits and consequences of batching and automation, as applied to daily living, both professional and personal?

The Rules In my preliminary online research, I did stumble across one other blogger (Eric G.) who had attempted this challenge. You can find his rules and results here, at My 4-Hr. Workweek. (As a fair warning, much of his blog focuses on and advocates Tim Ferris' principals in the original book. Feel free to take everything here, there, and everywhere with a healthy dose of critical thinking and skepticism.) My rules are slightly different from Eric's, but I may refer to/cite/link to his site if I use the same tools he does.

1. Like Eric, I won't attempt to set limits on how small or large the task needs to be. I will simply focus on those tasks which seem to demand my attention. I will not, however, make excuses to batch tiny tasks just to get out of handling larger, more pressing issues. My tasks will be highly relevant to my own needs, and may not apply to all readers, though many general tasks will have value to a wider audience.
   
2. Also like Eric, I will attempt to quantify the amount of time I spend on routine tasks. The goal right now is not to rush through tasks, but rather, to accurately record the actual amount of time I spend on each task.
   
3. I will be limiting my posts for this experiment to the month of May, though I may continue to batch tasks well after the experiment has concluded. As useful and worthwhile results or tools present themselves, I may "check in" from time to time after the official experiment has ended, and provide links to earlier, relevant posts.