Here is an excerpt from an article written by Elizabeth Grace Saunders for Harvard Business Review and the HBR Blog Network. To read the complete article, check out the wealth of free resources, obtain subscription information, and receive HBR email alerts, please click here
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When work is flying at you, you know you have to execute at a fast and furious pace. Deadlines loom, you’re busy and engaged, and, sometimes, just barely keeping up. Having breathing room in your schedule seems like a dream.
But when work slows down, you might find yourself drifting — unable to get excited about the tasks you could do, moving more slowly than usual, maybe reading articles and watching videos that have no particular relevance to your job. You just feel bored.
We all feel these ebbs and flows, whether they’re seasonal or due to events like a conference, project, or new client on-boarding. Most people are able to focus on getting work done during the peak. But how you handle the valleys also has a dramatic impact on your overall productivity and happiness. As a time management coach, I often counsel people on how make the most of slower times at work. Here are a few strategies:
Make a plan
When the pressure is off, it’s easy to let any little thing distract you. You might over-invest in email, wander the internet, or focus on unimportant items or errands, thinking “I have plenty of time.” To counteract this tendency, aim to start each day with a clear plan. Write down your two to three most important tasks and any smaller ones you would like to check off your to-do list. You have to be more deliberate about planning than you would during a busy period.
Develop yourself
Slower times at work present an opportunity to enhance your entire life, if you take advantage of them. Consider professional development activities that you wouldn’t normally have time for and add them into your daily plans. These might include attending an industry conference, meeting up with a former boss, brushing up your CV and LinkedIn profile or taking an online class. You are making an investment of time that will either help you in your current job or open up future doors.
Get ahead
Off-peak times also offer a chance to get home and office administrative work done before emergencies arise. You can file paperwork due in June or finally fix that old printer during some down time in May, so it’s not an anxiety-provoking annoyance before a big deadline. Or schedule your annual wellness visit and a trip to get your driving license renewed at a time when taking a personal day is no big deal. Being proactive keeps you from having to squeeze in these life maintenance activities at other times when you feel exceptionally tight on time.
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Here is a direct link to the complete article.
Elizabeth Grace Saunders is a time management coach and the founder of Real Life E Time Coaching & Speaking. She is author of How to Invest Your Time Like Money and Divine Time Management. Find out more at www.ScheduleMakeover.com.