Do you ever find yourself waiting somewhere that you didn’t expect to be? Like a really long lineup at a drive-thru, or you’re early for the school pickup run and you have 10 extra minutes? Or you are meeting a client and they are running late? My tip this week is to take advantage of that time!

Today I spent an extra hour waiting to get new tires put on my Jeep.  For me that was wasted time and unfortunately I was trying to keep a 4 and 1 yr old amused, so I really couldn’t take advantage that time.  But the first 1.5 hours I was waiting (yes, 2.5 hours total, not my idea of good service!) I used the time to great advantage, even with my little boys in tow.

I walked to a couple of nearby stores to pick up some things I need for the upcoming weekend, I picked up some office supplies and I found a new pair of jeans, all things I needed to do and I wanted to get them done since I was out anyway and waiting around.

But if I hadn’t had little boys with me, I could have used the other hour to advantage too.  I keep my notebook and calendar handy at all times. I could have brainstormed some blog post ideas and given some thought to the marketing I need to work on.  I could have telephoned a business contact and had a quick discussion.  I could have got onto my mobile browser and checked in with my Twitter pals!

Don’t let wasted time interfere with your day or the running of your business! Always keep on hand a couple of small projects or items you can work on in situations where you are stuck in wait mode.  Some more suggestions for things you can do in a few minutes while waiting:

• Write cheques to pay bills
• Send quick emails from your mobile phone
• Review your upcoming calendar dates and appointments
• Phone dentist/doctor/accountant etc to schedule necessary appointments
• Keep a book handy so you can catch up on your reading

See, there are so many things we can do to keep up with the little tasks that sometimes get neglected!

Take care!!