One of the best productivity tips I know is to master the 5-minute task. Too often we fritter away those precious moments when, over time, they really do add up.
Early for a meeting? Have something to read with you at all times. Extra moments while waiting in line? You can reply to an email on your phone. A few minutes before your next Zoom appointment? Toss in some laundry or do a few squats in your office.
You can’t accomplish the big tasks in such a small increment, but you can free your to-do list — and your mind — from some of the mundane items that need to be done. You can’t write a blog but you can locate the picture in advance of the day’s post. Five minutes won’t allow you to do that expense report but you can gather the receipts and put them in date order. You won’t have time to squeeze in a meeting but you might be able to outline the agenda for one.
Instead of “waiting around” or doing something mindless, take advantage of those brief segments to make forward progress on your work. You might be surprised at the big difference capitalizing on little chunks of time can make.
