Downtime at work is such a rare thing and sometimes, it can catch you so off guard you don’t know what to do with yourself. You are caught up on your e-mails. The phone isn’t ringing off the hook. Here are a few quick and productive things you can do to make the day go faster and still feel like you have accomplished something: Get Organized – Take a good look at your projects and make a list of everything which needs to be done in order to check the entire project off of your to-do list. Choose one project –Pick a project that you can spend a big chunk of time on today. Set your timer for an hour and see how much you can accomplish. Need more time? Well, today you have plenty of time! Keep going until you reach a point when you want to stop for the day. Leave the office feeling like you got something accomplished. Learn something – Read some articles on-line or watch a TED talk on a topic of interest that relates to your field. Browse trade publications or read a few LinkedIn articles. Have a mobile meeting – Instead of meeting with a colleague in his or her office–take it outside and go for a walk. Get some fresh air and maybe your new surroundings will bring some new ideas to light. Break out the label maker – This one is my favorite! Take out old files you don’t need anymore and create new ones. File papers away that have been sitting on your desk with no place to go. Leave your workday with a clean desk. Help someone else in the office – Maybe you don’t have a lot to do today, but someone else is up against a major deadline. Offer your assistance —even if it is just to stuff envelopes or make copies. They will appreciate it and they won’t forget it when you are in need. Don’t forget the small stuff – Get a few quotes from vendors for an upcoming project. Order office supplies. Update your calendar with upcoming meetings and events. Empty your in-box. Send a thank you note.
