On several occasions, I've mentioned the importance of using small pockets of time well.  But I don't think I've ever really explained what I mean.

If you think about your typical day, there are short gaps of time (no more than 15 to 30 minutes) that are unscheduled. You have to wait a bit in the doctor's office.  You finish your lunch quickly.  You are ready to go 10 minutes before you need to leave.  You get to soccer practice before it's over.  You have 15 minutes while dinner finishes roasting. 

Well, you get the idea.

Now, you can let these pockets of time pass you by, just sitting and daydreaming, flipping through the tv channels, surfing the web, etc.

Or, you can chosse to use this time.  It's amazing what you can accomplish in 10-15 minutes.  Here are some of my stand-bys:

• Fold a basket of laundry.
• Take out the trash and recyclables.
• Vacuum the living room carpet.
• Put away the dishes.
• Pay some bills.
• Make phone calls to schedule some appointments.
• Clean the bathroom sink and toilet.
• Sort the mail.
• Write a birthday card or a quick note to a friend.
• Do a quick tidy of a single room — putting things back into place, tossing trash, running a quick dust rag.
• Sew a button back on.
• Gather your dry cleaning.
• Sort the laundry.

What are some of the quick tasks you can do?  Later this week, we'll look at ways to use the task list to get more accomplished.