(Photo: Daniel Petzold Photography)
“There’s never enough time.”
We’ve all said it at some point and some of us still say it. Unlike money, time is one of those things we can’t get back (not yet, anyway). Once it’s passed, that’s it.
Fortunately, we have a lot more down time than we think. We just need to open our eyes and be a little creative with that time. Our typical day is full of opportunities we can use to start our improving our lives today.
Some of these suggestions below are opportunities to optimize your down time. Others are more oriented to effective multi-tasking.
– Work breaks –
Even if you used a half hour of your lunch to do what you want, you’d be getting back over 100 hours a year. That doesn’t even include coffee or smoke breaks. Lunch hour, especially, is a good time to work out, read, work on a side project, or even do something relaxing like meditation.
– Waiting rooms –
There are waiting rooms everywhere you go: auto repair shops, salons and barber shops, and even hospitals. Wait times can vary from five minutes to a couple hours, but most people just sit there or read a magazine. If you’re out a lot, using this time effectively can really help you get ahead.
– Airport terminals or on flights –
Anyone that’s flown a few times in their life knows that waiting and idleness is a common part of the airport experience. Waiting in line for security… Waiting in the terminal to board… Waiting for the plane to take off… Waiting for the shuttle bus.. For frequent travelers, this time adds up fast.
– While carpooling or riding public transportation –
The cool thing about carpooling or public transportation is that you’re free to use your hands and put more concentration into things than you would if you were actually driving a car.
– While on the john –
It’s not exactly the ideal place to bring a laptop, but if you’re really struggling to get through a book, paper, or assignment, a few minutes of quiet time in the bathroom could help. Plus, it’s a lot better than mindless browsing through a newspaper or checking your Facebook wall from your smartphone.
(Photo: DefineYourGrind.com)
For most thought-intensive tasks, I advocate single-tasking as a more efficient way to get things done. However, if you have something less thought-intensive or that’s already ingrained in muscle memory, it can be easily paired with something else that requires a little more thought. These are more effective ways to multitask.
– While doing house work –
House work can be mind-numbing, especially for adults with ADHD. An audio book or conversation with friends/family can be a productive distraction. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2012, the average American adult spends about 2 hours a day doing household work.
– While exercising –
If you work out alone and have a pretty consistent routine, that’s a good opportunity to leverage your iPod/MP3 player in a useful way.
– While bathing/showering –
Throw the iPod on a dock and blast it while you’re bathing or showering. That’s an easy 15-30 minutes you can use to learn something.
– While driving –
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average commute time in the U.S. is 25.4 minutes. For a typical 5-day work week, that’s about 260 hours a year that you could be listening to an audio book and improving yourself.
Some of these work better than others depending on your unique life/work conditions, but the end result should be the same: more time for you. When you start using these opportunities frequently, you’ll be amazed at how much free time you come up with and how much more you actually get done.
