Time is precious – not to use the more vulgar adagio that calls it ‘money’. Hence, the need for busylancers like you and I to multitask wildly. Far from succeeding every single step of the way, one of the strategies I’ve come to find handy is splitting tasks into smaller snippets – to make them more comfortable to handle and easier to get out of the way. IF it’s pleasant tasks we are talking about, equally I find myself (finding) making time for them. And sometimes I’ve only got 1, 5, 10, 20, 30 or 45 minutes sharp. Here’s some of the stuff I ‘pigeonhole’ in these slots.
When I only have 1 minute, I…
– Snapchat what I do: it’s increasingly more addictive for me to actually follow snappers and give it a go of my own. While it’s difficult to always be relevant and to catch the right moment / activity to snap, that’s the beauty of it – sometimes things are only worth sharing for a few seconds. My Snapcode is still @rainylondon, because regrettably Snapchat does not let you amend your username. I mainly snap about my day and other bits and pieces, and I’m crazy about filters XD
– Get a glimpse at the mirror: it’s probably heritage from when I used to have a fringe (!) I always check myself in the mirror for the odd “piece of parsley in your teeth”. And with a quick glance, I’m good to go.
– Check the time: oh so obsessively so. On my phone and my watch – and then on repeat, I would forget and look again.
When I only have 5 minutes, I…
– Read my Twitter feed: in five minutes I can get a glance at some part of the ridiculously long feed I follow – most of the time I miss tweets but hey, it’s fine. I can run a quick search and see what I care about or even just check mentions and conversations.
– Make a cuppa (coffee): that’s the first thing I do in the morning – I put a capsule of Nespresso in and I make eggs while it gets slightly colder (I have not a great tolerance for hot drinks).
– Flickering through IG’s pocular #hashtags: I look at IG very often, I admit it. I have a real taste for visuals and spend several of these 5 minutes every now and then looking at pretty things and clean feeds. #guilty #sorrynotsorry
When I’ve got 10 minutes, I…
– DO training on Duolingo: I’ ve taken up French and Portuguese (at once!). #overachiever? The app is nice and intuitive – and I’ve also given a go to Memrise.
– Make lists! Like this – but also to-do lists, lists of articles, lists of payments, lists of dreamed-about items, lists of lists. That’s how I get organised. To do it mentally = need visually first.
– Browse for holidays: I’ve desperately wanted to go to Santorini for ages – and also Mexico, and back to Sardinia or to Paris again. I keep watching Expedia, Mr & Mrs Smith and Secret Escapes for great breaks – just in case, you know…
When I’ve got 20 minutes, I…
– use the TRX straps: my fitness hero & personal trainer Ryan McMahon got me travel TRX straps for my birthday and now I’ve got no excuses. I can use them at home too: I hook the straps at a tall door and then I can squat, I can do chest press, deltoid rows…
– Call family: usually it’s them calling me when I normally •cannot• pick up (LOL) but when I can, indeed I schedule calls – and with my grandpa on WhatsApp, the fun is real.
– Have a shower: I normally get a shower after the gym – and I hate doing it in the morning as instead of waking me up, it really brings me down! I’m the quick shower kinda type but I’ve got long hair (!) and need to spend most of the shower time to get shampoo off it…
When I’ve got 30 minutes, I…
– Watch a TV series episode: I’m watching several series at once, but I do not get withdrawal symptoms very easily so sometimes it’s days before I watch the latest episode. I’ve recently started Lucifer (and House of Cards).
– Check my social media and schedule posts: I also have to post my own, alongside my client’s – for whom I manage accounts etc. That’s why it’s good to find half an hour to plan the deadlines and posts for the week ahead, when possible.
– Browse for clothes: guilty pleasure. I keep a close eye on Zara and Net-A-Porter, Vestiaire Collective, Gilt, Club Monaco and The Outnet – way closer than I should, I know.
When I’ve got 45 minutes, I…
– Go to the gym: I never train for longer that this, really. I can do a routine of increased tempo exercise that my trainer defined for me – see in the pics.
–Short translations: I have to work too, believe it or not. During the other hours outside these slots, normally I do that! But in this 45-minute period I can get a 600/700-word file.
– Write a post and select assets: yes, writing a post may be easy and it may take me 20 minutes but the visual side of it, the planning and the editing may take up to an hour or more. It’s exciting but I try to give myself a slot so I don’t procrastinate.
And you?
How do you multitask?
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[…] Time is precious – not to use the more vulgar adagio that calls it 'money'. Hence, the need for busylancers like you and I to multitask wildly. Far from succeeding every single step of th […]