Make the Most of Your Pockets of Time

Do you ever feel like your schedule is always full and there’s never enough time in the day? The so-called time anxiety is extremely common and may leave you feeling overwhelmed with the minutes slowly ticking away. But there is a way to combat that.

How? By using your pockets of time wisely. Pockets of time are small periods you have available between activities or during short breaks.

These small increments of time or the “wee hours” are perfect for doing small, focused tasks that help move you toward your larger goals. Finding pockets of time and using them wisely is challenging at first, but once you get into the habit, it gets much easier to identify those. In the end, you will feel more fulfilled with the amount of free time you have left in your day. Here are some tips to help you do just that!

Are You Wasting Your Free Time?

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If you’re ever feeling super busy and overwhelmed with the number of things you have to do, it’s a good idea to check how you’re managing your little chunks of free time. This can vary from time wasted on things like scrolling through social media to being stuck in traffic or waiting at a doctor’s office.

You might also be wasting your free time if you’re spending too much time doing things that don’t move you closer to your goals. For example, if you’re a student who regularly spends 8 hours a day at school, that leaves you with very little time to do any of your own work.

What Are Pockets of Time?

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Pockets of time typically last anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes and usually relate to waiting times (such as when you’re waiting for a bus, an appointment, or even on a phone call). You can also find them during short breaks, such as a break between meetings.

For tasks that will take 10 to 15 minutes or less, consider creating a “short task list.” Printing out a paper, making a follow-up call, setting up a meeting, or other quick but necessary tasks fall under this category. Challenge yourself to cross things off the list whenever you have a brief window of time. This will not only help you do more in less time but will also assist in avoiding procrastination.

How to Make the Most of a Pocket of Time?

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First, decide what you want to accomplish during your pocket of time. For example, if you have 10 minutes to spare, you might want to jot down some notes for your next blog post. If you have 20 minutes, you might want to focus on researching some topics related to that blog post.

Once you have a general idea of what you want to accomplish, the next thing to do is to break down that large task into smaller chunks. For example, if you want to brainstorm ideas for a blog post, your small chunks might include:

• Finding inspiration for the post
• Taking notes
• Organizing those notes into bullet points

Finally, once you’ve broken down each task, schedule your tasks into your calendar. This way, you’ll have a visual representation of how your time is being spent in your life and will be able to see which tasks are taking up the most of your time.

You may monitor the time spent and pockets of time available in your day with TimeTrack’s timesheets tool. Along with absence rectification and data storage, it has all the same functions as a paper timesheet. This will make it easier to do all the jobs by the deadline while also making the most of your pockets of time!

 

Most Common Pockets of Time and How to Use Them Productively

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Waiting

Whether you’re waiting for a bus or for a friend, this is an excellent time to jot down your thoughts or ideas without being interrupted. Waiting for your food to be baked in the oven? Try sketching out a project or idea you’ve been wanting to work on. Waiting for your coffee to brew? Create a to-do list for the rest of the day. Waiting at the post office? Come up with a list of what you want to accomplish this week. You get the idea!

Eating

Not only is eating a great time to take a break from work, but it’s also a great time to work on tasks that don’t require much concentration, such as writing emails, checking a website, or scheduling social media posts in five minutes. But remember: don’t distract yourself from eating itself – try to find a few minutes per lunch break to spend on smaller tasks rather than idle chat with colleagues.

Small Breaks

Depending on the type of work you do, you may not realize that you must take breaks. If you work at a computer, you may want to take a break away from the screen every 30 to 60 minutes.

If you work in an office environment, you may want to take a 5-10 minute walk outside or down the hall every hour or so. Breaks help us refresh, re-energize, and come back to our work with a bright new perspective.

Get Work Done

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Setting up an ongoing list of quick, simple chores that need to be completed is another approach to fill up little windows of time. Keep a copy of it on a different to-do list and refer to it whenever you have some spare time. In this manner, you can take care of the minor details and reserve your larger blocks of office time for major tasks that demand a lot of concentration and focus. The amount of work you get done is ultimately going to be used to measure your performance.

Take Advantage of Small Breaks

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If you work in an office environment, you may find that you have some built-in breaks throughout your day. If this is the case, use these breaks to do something that helps you move towards your larger goals.

If you work at home or lack breaks built into your day, then you can look for small breaks instead. These might be as simple as waiting in traffic or for a kettle to boil.

Block Out Times for Tasks

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Using your calendar to block out times for different tasks can help you make sure that you’re making the most of your day, allowing you to visualize when those tasks need to be finished.

For example, if you have a large project due in a few weeks, you might want to block out time every single day to dedicate to that project.

Remember, you don’t have to use your calendar to only block out work-related tasks. You can also use your calendar to block out times of day for activities that aren’t work-related.

Summing Up

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These are just a few ways to make the most of your pockets of time, whether you have a lot or a little on your plate. It’s important to keep in mind that timing is everything. If you have a 9-5 job, you can use your commute time to catch up on work or reading. Alternatively, you can use pockets of time to do things that make you happy and take your mind off of your daily stresses.

The TimeClock app from TimeTrack may assist you in adhering to the most crucial time management rules in your daily schedule. You can see how much time you should allot for your chores on the clock, planner, and monitor included. This will allow you to visualize your pockets of time and spend them more wisely.