Today's TQ

Daily Lessons in Intentional Excellence
Friday, November 13, 2026

You Know What You Must Do, But Do You Know By When?

Write down the routine tasks you deal with every day. Now batch them into specific time periods to get them accomplished as efficiently as possible.

"Must do's" are best done by batching them together.

Today's TQ Challenge: Batch Similar Tasks Together.

Choose to be EFFICIENT! How much of your day is devoted to daily necessities?
Choose to be PRACTICAL! Which of your tasks must be done weekly?
Choose to be ORGANIZED! When, tomorrow, will be the best time for you to tackle your daily required tasks?

The multitude of life's tasks are easier to complete when you stop, plan ahead and batch similar activities together. You eliminate repetition and minimize effort when you group similar tasks to be done at the same time. Write down the routine tasks you perform every day -- the ones you do once a week, and those you complete once a month. Now group similar activities into their own specific time periods and complete them all at once -- instead of one at a time.

"It is those who have this imperative demand for the best in their natures, and who will accept nothing short of it, that holds the banners of progress, that set the standards, the ideals, for others." ~ Orison Swett Marden

Think about it. How well and how often do you actually DO Organize Factor 8E?

"I save steps by batching similar tasks that can be done at the same time."

A high commitment (8E rated 8 or better) suggests that your recurrent tasks are systematically completed in batches. Instead of being tempted to do whatever appears next, you ignore this impulse by planning ahead and grouping similar activities together. This may be as simple as paying your bills once a month, putting off a trip to the north end of town until you have more errands to run, or buying all office supplies at the same time. This skill helps you get more done at one time than if you did each individual task separately.

On the other hand...

A lack of commitment suggests you are someone who takes on each task as it presents itself. When failing to group tasks together, your days consist of backtracking and duplication of effort. You make six trips to the same store in two days, you go back and forth to the fax or copy machine all day long -- then have the audacity to complain that there are never enough hours in the day! This waste of time increases your stress level, and decreases the amount of time available for more productive activities.

What happens when you CHOOSE to do Factor 8E a bit more frequently?

You save time by doing five things at one time, instead of one thing at five different times. You accumulate performance positives like "Efficient, Practical and Organized" -- immediately moving you towards the results you expect.

What happens when you FAIL to consistently do Factor 8E?

You waste time whenever you do one thing five times instead of five things at one time. Negatives like "Inefficient, Impractical and Repetitive" start to take their toll on your performance -- quickly moving you away from the success you want.

Now Ask Yourself This...
Is Factor 8E Causing You Problems?

If you believe this factor is a key performance obstacle -- and that it's preventing you from realizing your personal dreams and goals -- then you need to improve it.

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