One of the simple activities that really well-organized people are able to implement is the ability to fill in the gap when an unexpected space in their schedule suddenly appears.
You may have some C List tasks that have been waiting for a little while now, and although they are not particularly urgent or important, nevertheless it would be nice to get them done and out of the way – especially if someone else is reliant on you completing them.
Under what circumstances might a gap occur? Well, you may have a technology failure and be offline for 30 minutes or so. Or perhaps you are waiting for some information from someone or direct instructions to move forward on a project. These types of delay can leave us feeling quite frustrated and a little anxious, especially when we are on a tight project deadline.
Simple tasks that do not take a great deal of time and are not cognitively challenging can be dropped should the previous delay be rectified. They may be as simple as just reading a chapter of a book or cleaning out some old files or your desk – something you have been meaning to do for a while but have been too busy.
Fill In The Gaps tasks can be very rewarding, as it is often a bonus to get around to completing them: always be conscious of having them around and be ready to jump in. When you do get some done, the frustration of the previous delay will not have so much of an impact on you as you should feel pretty good about what you have done, and you will have focused your energy to master the time you suddenly have available.
So, always have some Fill In the Gaps tasks in your back pocket ready for that Wi-Fi breakdown, or delayed online meeting getting started – and use the available time wisely.