Throughout your day you do a variety of different tasks. Everything from email to seeing clients to drafting documents to doing research. You might do each task when it comes up on your calendar or todo list, but it’s more efficient to group together related tasks and do them together.

Write and respond to all your emails in one 40-minute session. Do all your writing or dictation in one time block. Schedule client appointments back to back.

Different types of tasks require different ways of thinking and different skills. Batching makes it easier to get into flow, saving time and allowing you to do a better job.

Sticking with one type of task is efficient. It allows you to get into a rhythm. Task switching is inefficient. Each time you switch you have to let go of what you’ve been doing and get oriented to what you’re about to do.

But there’s another way to batch tasks–by project rather than by activity. Do everything you can on one case or matter before switching to another.

When you’re working on a case–drafting letters, responding to discovery, reviewing documents, making calls–the facts are in your head, you’re thinking about strategy, remembering what people said, considering competing statutes and rules–and it doesn’t make sense to interrupt what you’re doing to do something else.

So don’t.

Think about what you typically do throughout the day and figure out what you can batch. And do what works best for you.

You might prefer to read the message you’re reading now along with other blog posts or emails you follow. Or, you might want to read this message during a block of time set aside for marketing.

When you’re ready to create a simple marketing plan, use this