Got 15 Spare Minutes? Here's
How To Make It Count
Having a head full
of things we need to do is one of the biggest distractions. Here's a better way
to parse tasks and get more done.
When we’re faced with only 15 minutes in between meetings, or
waiting in line to get coffee or lunch, our natural inclination is to either
answer email, look at social media, or text someone. These are not always the
most productive uses of small slivers of time, according to several experts.
They say there is plenty you can accomplish in 15 minutes, if you do three things:
They say there is plenty you can accomplish in 15 minutes, if you do three things:
1.
Separate your to-do list into tasks and projects, and focus on the
tasks.
2.
Write your to-do list in a way that allows you take immediate
action.
3.
Look at email and social media with a focus on moving forward.
The definition of a task is
something that takes five to 10 minutes, says Kathy Lee, productivity tech
expert and owner of DoubleSpaces LLC,
a company that helps individuals use technology to boost their productivity.
There are several timesaving actions you can take with your
smartphone when you only have 15 minutes to spare, Lee says. They include:
·
Unsubscribe from junk snail mail using an app like PaperKarma. While not always 100%
reliable, it does help you to stop most catalogs, Lee says.
·
Read all your email subscriptions in one daily email with Unroll.me.
·
Search for recipe ideas for tonight’s dinner.
·
Call the doctor, dentist, salon, vet, etc. to make an appointment.
·
Read an article you saved from a website or social media in Pocket.
You can also use the time to write
down any tasks that come to mind as incomplete, such as picking up pet food on
the way home from work, says May Wang, productivity expert, coach, and
consultant. Making a list of anything you are thinking about doing but haven’t
done yet allows you to free up your mind to consider other ideas and topics,
she says. Keeping a running to-do list in your mind "is actually one of
the biggest distractions," says Wang.
"I’ve never heard anyone
say, ‘I’ve read all my emails today,’ as if it was an achievement."
Similarly, Wang recommends using the time in between meetings,
even if it’s just 10 or 15 minutes, to capture action items and deadlines from
your last meeting before the next meeting starts. Plus, she says, you’re less
likely to forget about a deadline if you record it immediately.
A vaguely written to-do list with
words such as budget, birthday card, or check to school can slow you down, says
Maura Thomas, productivity expert, author, and founder of Regain Your Time.
Instead, she says, write your list in a way that allows you to
take immediate action, rather than having to think about what to do. For
example, an active to-do list would look like this:
·
Enter totals into spreadsheet
·
Find Jane’s address via Google or by emailing a friend so you can
send a birthday card
·
Pay college tuition bill via online payment system
"Eliminate vague sounding words like plan, implement, and
develop," says Thomas, "because if you only have a few minutes,
seeing a word like develop on your list will act like a speed bump, and you’ll
probably skip over it."
Keeping a running to-do list in
your mind is actually one of the biggest distractions.
Another way to make your to-do
lists more helpful is to categorize them into four quadrants: work, family,
home, me. By focusing on goals from one quadrant at a time, you can use your
time more wisely, says Lisa Woodruff, productivity expert and owner of Organize 365.
You can use small pockets of time to catch up on social media and
scan emails, but your ultimate goal should be to help you, your client, or your
team move forward. For instance, when scanning through email, focus on quickly
replying to a client who is stuck or team member who needs more direction,
Woodruff says. "The key is to scan your social media and email with the
purpose of moving everyone forward," she says. "Cute quotes, lengthy
emails to read, and long phone calls can wait."
Most of us could easily let our entire day get sucked up by
answering email, says Lee, but that won’t give us a sense of accomplishment.
"I’ve never heard anyone say, ‘I’ve read all my emails today,’ as if it
was an achievement," Lee says.
Sometimes the most productive thing
you can do is let your mind wander and allow yourself to daydream. Several studies have
shown that a wandering mind can be both a well of creativity and a
place to parse complex problems. "Being productive is a function of being
focused and working from the state of peace of mind," says Wang. "It
is not about doing, doing, doing."
Next time you are waiting in line, instead of browsing social media, write down two aspects of your life that you are grateful for, suggests Marie Levey-Pabst, founder of Create Balance. "Taking time to remember what you are grateful for will boost your mood, outlook, and focus," she says.
Consider spending 10 or 15 minutes practicing mindfulness, doing a guided meditation, or even just closing your eyes, says Thomas. "The brain needs time to consolidate and generate insights," she says, "and these are not things that we can command our brains to do."
Next time you are waiting in line, instead of browsing social media, write down two aspects of your life that you are grateful for, suggests Marie Levey-Pabst, founder of Create Balance. "Taking time to remember what you are grateful for will boost your mood, outlook, and focus," she says.
Consider spending 10 or 15 minutes practicing mindfulness, doing a guided meditation, or even just closing your eyes, says Thomas. "The brain needs time to consolidate and generate insights," she says, "and these are not things that we can command our brains to do."
LISA RABASCA
ROEPE
https://www.fastcompany.com/3064212/work-smart/got-15-spare-minutes-heres-how-to-make-it-count
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