Our work days are often made up of meetings – both on the phone and face-to-face – some onsite, others off site. Other segments of our day include time spent at our desks, conversations with coworkers, and other random tasks/errands.
It is not unusual to have only 15 minutes of time in between projects or meetings when we’d much rather have a larger block of time. But those 15 minutes can turn into power-packed minutes if we treat them right.
Spend a few minutes to think about the things in your job that can be done in 15 minutes or less. The list below will help get your creative juices flowing.
15 minute tasks
- Create a To Do List or Checklist for an upcoming project
- Read a trade journal or newsletter
- Order office supplies
- Write a Thank-You note
- Make a phone call or maybe even two or three
- Reserve a conference room or create an agenda for an upcoming meeting
- Send a meeting request
- Sort through emails; don’t be shy about using your Delete Key
- Mail a package
- Respond to several emails
- Sort through snail mail sitting on your desk
- File or scan papers
- Purge 1” of paper files
- Shred papers
- Pay a bill online
- Make a personal appointment: hair stylist/doctor/mechanic/dentist
People often report procrastinating on larger projects because they simply do not know where to begin. When faced with this scenario, start out by creating a To Do List/Checklist/Master Plan of the various tasks of the larger project. Be as detailed as possible, making note of other individuals who will also be working on the project. Now take a step back. Study those steps or action items carefully. There are probably several that will only take a short period of time to complete. These are the steps you want to zero in on when you’ve got a 15-minute chunk of time.
