Small Tasks
You have a morning meeting on the other side of town, and you have no idea how long it will actually take to get there. So you arrive 45 minutes early (ooof), and suddenly have a pocket of trapped time. How do you spend it? This week, we’re taking a look at different pockets of trapped time. We like to use those moments to catch up on small tasks like:
- Cleaning out our wallet and scanning receipts (we like the Adobe Scan app);
- Deleting (ahem, unsubscribing!) from nonsense emails;
- Scheduling upcoming appointments (dentist, hair, vet, etc.); and/or
- Re-reading the agenda for the meeting.
What do you do when you find yourself facing trapped time? Keep reading for some of our favorite ways to utilize those moments when you find yourself with limited resources.
Travel Time
One example of trapped time is your daily commute – both morning and evening. If you commute by car, this is a good time to catch up on your podcast playlist, or even hold “office hours,” a block of time where your friends and family know they will be able to catch you for a phone call. If you’re a public transportation commuter, this may not be an ideal situation for office hours, but you can still pass the time binging podcasts, catching up on all those articles you’ve been meaning to read, or even getting ahead of your inbox. Just make sure you’re paying attention when you get to your stop!
What time to arrive at the airport for a flight has become a very hotly debated point (you are either an “hour+ early” person or an “it’s fine if I arrive as boarding is starting” person). If you’re the former, how do you spend that trapped time? We’re big fans of making sure you always have a book on hand, especially for moments like this. Likewise, now that school is back in session, you may find yourself waiting in the pick-up line for more time than seems possible. This is another time that book may come in handy! This is also a good example of trapped time that can be used to work on a hobby – something like knitting, perhaps, if you have a mobile set-up that you can easily take with you on the go.
Clarity
These moments of trapped time are also great for any practice that helps you clear your mind. Writing while you wait – even for 5-10 minutes – can help you get things out of your head for clarity, or it can help a budding writer work toward a goal of writing for X amount of time per day. And sometimes just taking a minute (or ten) to catch your breath is the best way to spend your commute time. A peaceful moment for meditation in the morning before you tackle the day at work, or on the way home as a way to let go of your work life can help you find some clarity. (This is not recommended for those of you car-commuters!)
How do you conquer trapped time? With The Arena App, you can create your own checklist of tasks you like to work on in these moments. That way, you can add it to your day whenever you find yourself with a pocket of time, and catch up on some easy tasks! Download The Arena App in the App Store today, and let us know on Twitter (@thearenaapp) or Instagram (@thearenaapp) how you spend these little moments of your day.
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