One little technique has made a big difference to me.
I don’t have a name for it but the nearest I’ve got is ‘stuffing it in’ and this is how it works:
I’ve trained myself to make the most of those little bits of dead time we all have in a day and to ‘stuff in’ what I can in the few minutes that are available.
Let me explain…
If I’ve got ten minutes before I’m due to leave to pick the kids up from school I used to think ‘Oh there’s no point starting anything’ so I’d mess about at my desk, browse YouTube or check my emails until it was time to go.
Now I’ll look at the tasks on my list (for example writing and sending out a broadcast email to my list) and instead of waiting until I’m back at my desk, I’ll start the task immediately, even though I know ten minutes isn’t enough time to finish it.
On glorious angel-kissed days when the planets are in the correct alignment I’ll find that I actually FINISH the task in the time I would otherwise waste…
…and on other days I’ll at least eat into the bugger so when I get back to my desk, a decent chunk of it is already completed.
It sounds like a small, common sense method, but on speaking with other people about it I was amazed how many people would put off a task until tomorrow, or until they’re back at their desk because the time available didn’t seem like enough to finish the job.
Well even if it’s not, it’s nice to arrive at work the next day and find you’ve already made in-roads into your to do list.
There are ten and twenty minute chunks of time all over your day that don’t seem big enough to start something, but try doing something in that time – you might be surprised about how productive the habit becomes.
That said, sometimes it’s ALSO good to put your feet up and watch someone lighting a fart on Youtube now and again 🙂
Get my blog posts delivered by Email
Mmmmm – it’s a real problem
Get started on that awkward task…..
Or enjoy a really cool Choc-ice lolly?
And while the Jury’s out,
Tony’s got it done and dusted!!
John