Think about this for a moment … how many times during the day do you have a couple of minutes to spare?
Maybe 5 minutes while you’re on hold on a telephone call, 10 minutes waiting for a tradesperson to finish a job or just a few minutes before you’re due to leave for an appointment. That’s not really enough time to start anything new, right?
WRONG!
It may seem like that’s not enough time to do much but you may be surprised by just what you can do in ‘just a few minutes’, and by how much that adds up over time.
Things such as:
- update your to-do list
- make a quick phone call
- read an article from an industry magazine
- update your diary
- clean out a desk drawer
- tidy your desk
- organise one of your files
- dictate a letter or notes for a project you’re working on
- tidy your CDs or DVDs
- update your whiteboard
- back up your computer
- write a new blog post, or make a list of topics you could write about
- comment on someone else’s blog
What else could you do during those times when you only have a few minutes?
Using these small windows of time effectively is one of my secrets to achieving so much each day. I always keep a pen and notepad in my handbag so I can make notes of ideas if I’m caught waiting while out and about, and my mobile phone doubles as another great way to record notes while out.
I also keep .mp3 audios of interviews or podcasts handy so I can listen to them while going for a walk or while waiting for appointments.
Not only do these things make me more productive, they also make ‘waiting’ much more enjoyable!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
So true. Brian Tracy talks about this when he says you should develop a fast tempo. It is very important to get some momentum, especially if you’re prone to procrastinating. Of course there should be some caveats, with anything you’re doing if you try a cram too much in by filling up all the little breaks you might just be making things harder by not concentrating on the task at hand, or worse still, running yourself ragged by trying to squeeze too much in to a day. I’ve been guilty of both, so with everything there seems to be a happy middle ground.
Reminds me of the porridge in that old nursery rhyme. I forget which one now, but that’d be right it’s late here in NZ.
Thanks Donna-Marie, you’re an inspiration to us all.
Warm regards
Michael Smale
Hi Donna-Marie,
Yes it is amazing what we can do in really small amounts of time – like delete old emails, sew a hole in a sock, fill in a form – whatever!! Anything to keep your ‘To Do’ List under control…and as long as there is a little time for some often-forgotten ‘Reflection’.
Claire McFee
Thanks Michael and Claire.
You’re both quite right … we can easily fit more things into the day but it is important to take time out sometimes too.