Time Blocking vs. Task Batching for Creatives Balancing a Day Job

Time Blocking vs. Task Batching for Creatives Balancing a Day Job

Welcome back to Totally Abstracted, where I explore the intersection of art, creativity, and productivity for those of us balancing days jobs with passion projects. I’m your host, Michelle, and in this episode, I explore two popular productivity strategies—Time Blocking and Task Batching—and how they can help you carve out time for your creative work.

Highlights from the Episode:

Time Blocking: A structured method where your day is divided into specific blocks of time, each dedicated to a task or group of tasks. It’s ideal for creating structure in your day and reducing decision fatigue, especially if you’re someone who thrives with a plan.

Task Batching: This technique involves grouping similar tasks together and handling them in one go, which can minimise energy drain from constant mental switching. It’s particularly useful for admin work or repetitive tasks.

Which works better for creatives? The answer doesn’t have to be one or the other. I share how I personally use both methods—Time Blocking for my creative work and Task Batching for my admin tasks like emails, social media, and podcast editing.

Key Takeaways:

Creatives can benefit from trying both strategies depending on the type of task at hand.

For those balancing a day job, start small—30-minute time blocks in the evening or a few hours on weekends for creative work. Use task batching to handle repetitive tasks more efficiently.

Flexibility is key—experiment with both methods to find what fits your unique rhythm and helps you balance your day job with your creative passion.

Free Resource : Get The Creative’s Quick Start Guide to Time Mastery, a free resource with practical tools to help busy creatives manage their time and focus on what matters most. It includes strategies like goal setting, task prioritisation, time blocking, and visual workflows, plus a printable time-blocking template, a task prioritisation worksheet, and a guide to creating your own DIY Kanban board.

Download the guide here: https://www.michellesleeart.com/pages/time-mastery-for-creatives

Connect with me:

Explore my website www.michellesleeart.com for more episodes and resources

Follow me on social media for daily inspiration and updates. I’m @michellesleeart on Instagram.

Final Thoughts:

Balancing a job with a creative side hustle isn’t easy, but these tools can help you make time for what you love without burning out. Whether you're more of a time blocker or a task batcher, it’s all about finding what works for you.

Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a fellow creative. Let me know which method works best for you—I’d love to hear your thoughts. Until next time, keep creating and stay inspired!