{"id":27,"date":"2023-07-26T14:50:14","date_gmt":"2023-07-26T14:50:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.latterly.org\/?p=27"},"modified":"2023-12-18T16:32:29","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T16:32:29","slug":"downtime-at-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.latterly.org\/downtime-at-work\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Smart Ways to Use Downtime at Work"},"content":{"rendered":"
After decades of working in a corporate environment, I\u2019ve seen many rise through the ranks, often to executive-level positions, while others work away at the same level for years.<\/p>\n
There\u2019re dozens of reasons why some make it into top leadership positions, including performance, consistency, emotional intelligence, communication abilities, and a certain amount of luck.<\/p>\n
But I\u2019ve seen in my own experience that minor differences in performance can mean huge career impacts over time\u2014one of those slight differences can be how you use downtime at work.<\/p>\n
What if you don\u2019t have any downtime at work?<\/p>\n
With so many people changing companies and jobs, there\u2019s a good chance that all the shuffling has left you with no downtime. Maybe you had no downtime to begin with.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t give up.<\/strong><\/p>\n Consider how to gain efficiencies or set boundaries to allow for more downtime at work. Parkinson\u2019s Law says that work expands to fill the time available to complete it. So practice compressing the time it takes to complete tasks. Try setting a timer for 40 minutes and getting as much done as possible, or try another productivity hack. There are likely ways to\u00a0make some more time in your day<\/a>.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve created some space in your schedule, or if you regularly have downtime at work, make the most of it with these ideas.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Look for areas where you have incomplete projects or have failed to get closure on something.<\/p>\n Maybe you agreed to complete a task you should have said no to, or perhaps you have a project you\u2019re not sure how to move forward.<\/p>\n One common technique to resolve this situation is to list all incomplete tasks, projects, or conversations. Write every single incomplete item you can think of, no matter how small. Then next to each item, write one of the 4 Ds. Do it, Delegate it, Delay it, or Dump it.<\/p>\n The key is having action steps next to most items (\u2018Delay\u2019 should be used sparingly and with good reason) and doing the action as soon as possible. Have the conversation, create the closure, and knock the item off the list.<\/p>\n We can only pay attention to so many things at a time, and each unfinished item takes attention away from the present moment.<\/p>\n You may be struggling with too much clutter, too many papers, and a never-ending email flow.<\/p>\n7 Ways to use downtime at work<\/h2>\n
1. Finish something<\/h3>\n
2. Clean or organize something: your email, your desk, your bag or purse<\/h3>\n