16
7
I am referring to short and scattered fragments of time like commuting, waiting in a queue, waiting for a bus etc. etc.
I read an interview with a businessman who said he was working as a photography assistant and he completed two MBA by utilizing the fragments of time during the shoots.
Are there any time management materials or strategy to managing these easily wasted time?
12
Simply bring materials to read and study with you at all times. Also don't forget to bring a pen or pencil with you. I rather enjoy waiting in a queue, because I can focus better on reading. It's an analogous feeling to going to a coffee shop to work. Whenever I expect I would wait for more than 5 minutes, I immediately bring out the material and start reading, and I feel rewarded by accomplishing that action.
But, this strategy apparently doesn't work for everyone. I recommended it to friends, and I don't know why most of them cannot pick up this habit.
1I usually find it hard to read during fragments of time because of the time needed to really focus (if it was learning material) or enjoy (if it was a novel). For longer commute like 20 to 30 minutes this would work tho. – Gapton – 2014-01-17T03:56:41.813
I summarize everything I read. Make notes of what you're reading into bullet point format, probably on something like Evernote on a smartphone. It's easy to come back to in the future. Not just 3 hours later, but also a few years later. – Muz – 2014-01-18T02:51:20.083
8
Getting Things Done actually helps with this. You don't have to use the whole process to take advantage of time fragments though. The free Toodledo site and app support enough of the concepts to help.
The idea is to break tasks into smaller ones and to include context. That way you can pick a relevant micro-task based on where you are and what is available to you at the time.
I also keep something to read with me at all times just in case.
8
For very short breaks, I find I'm unlikely to get productive work done. However, I do try to utilize that time to read items on my non-essential reading list (e.g., non-technical articles I've been wanting to read, things that were emailed to me, news sites, etc...). Basically anything that doesn't require a lot of cognitive effort will work.
If it was something you were planning on reading anyways at a different time, you may have find it a productive use of time. I use pocket which synchronizes across my phone and browser so I can save things to read later.
3
I check all my notifications (facebook, whatsapp, stackexchange, etc.) during these break times. At times, I also read news during these waiting periods.
3
Rather than listening to music on my commute, I started listening to audiobooks. It makes the commute much more enjoyable and productive. The downside is that it can get a bit distracting at times; so I never do it when traveling somewhere new.
With a very interesting audiobook, I also jot down a few notes when I arrive at work/home.
3
Besides research, reading, or studying you could dedicate these pockets of time doing things you put off such as updating your playlist, compiling a list of objectives, or making a list of books you want to read. Things of that nature, just a suggestion. Mix it up, doesn't always have to be business related.
1
Smartphones make easy to have always something to read at hand. I save Internet sites and read them at those scattered moments. The phone is always with you, so...
I also read books while I brush my teeth, using a timer: 30 secs x 4 areas = 2 mins of reading.
1
Here is what I do: always bring a little notebook and a pen with you. When you have a moment, even short, write down your latest ideas, like this cool thing you thought about a moment earlier in the bus. You can also use this notebook to note some thoughts about current projects or improvements to previous ideas. Yes, you can do that in your head, but writing it down helps you to organize them, and let you free your mind.
0
You can utilize these slots productively by:
0
I think that an auto-scheduler like SkedPal could fit the bill, if the commuting times are fairly well-known in advance.
I use it daily to fill in dead times. If one pops up (like it did this afternoon) you can click the "Update Schedule" button to ask it to re-juggle and re-optimize your schedule.
That's a lot easier than manually going through your entire To-Do List, even if each task is fully tagged. The AI power of an auto-scheduler is built to help you make these decisions rapidly, without depleting your brainpower.
As an operations researcher I can say that determining the best way to fill these fragments of time is a tough optimization problem. It's better to get help.
0
I have tasks in Toodledo that divided into time duration. That way I always know what I should do next when I have some time ahead.
My tasks are divided into couple hours (top left), half hour (top right) and 10 minutes length of time (bottom left). The bottom right widget is for non-mental tasks, when I cannot focus my mind to think for something literally.
-1
It depends on the duration of your fragments of time.
If it is short (less than 10 minutes), you can
If it is long (more than 10 minutes), you can
I recommend that you utilize a GTD methodology coupled with good "capturing" tools, so that you can quickly access material based on context. For this I recommend Pocket Informant for tasks, Evernote for notes, Pocket for news articles, Dropbox or Google Drive for files/work, DayOne for Journal entries. There are many other good apps. The main thing is that you can quickly access the right material when you need it.
– Winterflags – 2015-12-22T09:58:28.857Just one note. There are limitations to this strategy. I am ending business administration studies and certainly it helps to use free time in the public transport. But for some things you need quality time like macroeconomics models and Econometrics. Maths are just too hard to do them in your head. May be some photos had hours of preparation between shots. (make up, lighting, etc....) Of course make the best of the time you have. – borjab – 2016-07-11T09:46:20.090