You're Not a Procrastinator, You're a Batcher

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Sandra doesn't like any dishes left in the sink. She'll wash and put away her breakfast dishes before she leaves for work. Even if it's one or two dirty items, she won't dump them in the sink and walk out the door.

She's like this in all areas of her life. She prefers to do tasks steadily, as they come in. She doesn't like anything to build up or feel cluttered.

Her friend Susie is the opposite. Susie thinks it's inefficient to put on dishwashing gloves and run a sink of water for a few items. She waits until the end of the day to wash all the dishes.

Like Sandra, Susie's pattern is consistent across her life. She does one Amazon order a month, so she minimizes the deliveries she has to deal with, and only does laundry once a week.

Sandra has an as-you-go nature. Susie is a "batcher."

Just like morning people tend to be seen more positively than night owls, those with an as-you-go nature tend to be perceived as better regulated, organized, and in control.

Sure, there can be times when batching veers into avoidance. However, if you're a natural batcher, learning about your specific style can help you find a positive form of it.

First, I'll outline seven batcher types. Then, we'll discuss how to have a more positive relationship with your style. And finally, I'll give some quick tips for when batching becomes avoidance-driven.

Batchers Come in Seven Types

If you're a batcher, scroll through these profiles to identify your most dominant pattern, and up to two to three secondary ones.

1. Time (scheduled resets). You do a task at a recurring time, like the end of the day or year. Susie's dish routine fits this profile.
2. Volume (waits for enough). You wait until something builds up enough to be worth doing. If you wait until the sink can't hold any more dirty dishes, that routine would fit this pattern. If you wait to go to a store until you have several things you need from the same place, that would also fit. The core principle here is waiting for enough of a reason to act; running low counts, too. For example, you only wash your shirts when you're out of clean ones.
3. Pressure (deadlines force action). You need a deadline (or another external pressure) for motivation. You'll clean your house when someone is coming over in an hour. You'll clean out your purse the night before going on vacation because you don't want to trek months of old receipts across the country. You don't necessarily do tasks uncomfortably close to their deadline, but you don't do them early either.
4. Context (only in ideal conditions). You wait until your environment is "just so" before you act. You only vacuum when your kids are out of the house. You only do deep thinking about your life when you're away on vacation.
5. Identity (this is who I am today). You temporarily adopt a particular identity and go on a tear associated with that identity. Today I'm organized. Today I'm getting my finances in shape. Today I'm a social butterfly and will touch base with every friend I haven't spoken to in months.
6. Emotion (tolerance runs out). Imagine the parent who repeatedly asks their kid to clean their room. When they can't bear asking anymore, they relent and volunteer to help.
7. System (alerts decide timing). Most systems are based on time, deadlines, or volume, so if you follow systems, you'll likely fall into one of those other categories. However, you might identify most strongly with the concept of responding to alerts and prompts in general. You pay your electricity bill when you get the "due next week" email. You check in on a friend when Facebook reminds you it's their birthday. Or, you take your vitamin when you feel a slight scratchy throat.

Embrace Your Batcher Style

Many people feel some shame over their batcher tendency. Here's how you can overcome that.

First, recognize the stigma against batchers. It's often unfair. Second, honestly acknowledge any specific problems batching is causing you, such as: clashes with others, being perceived as inconsistent, feeling stressed, or under-performing. Third, acknowledge what you like about batching and why it works for you.

For example, batching might work for you if you've got an intense personality and you prefer to be all-in when working on something like your finances. You might find mental switching off and on difficult, perhaps leading to the identity batcher pattern.

There could be many other reasons behind your batching preferences. You might find that batching helps your energy and concentration. Perhaps you find it easier to focus on a big task than a small one. Maybe you're someone who needs to shut other things out to be able to concentrate, which leads you to display the "ideal conditions" pattern.

Tips for When Batching Turns Into Avoidance

Any pattern of behavior can be avoidance-driven, including doing everything as you go but avoiding prioritizing or keeping busy as a distraction. If you're a batcher who sometimes veers into procrastination, try leaning into whatever specific type of batcher you are. Inherent in your batcher type is self-knowledge about how you can get yourself to do things. If you identify with a few different batcher profiles, then you have multiple strategies.

Why Distinguish Being a Batcher From Procrastination

When you distinguish batching from procrastination, you'll be better able to use batching positively. When you shed any negative self-judgments about batching, you'll have more energy and focus available for managing procrastination when that's needed. Understanding your batcher type allows you to manage yourself better in ways you're naturally drawn to.