Everywhere I go I see people staring aimlessly into space as precious time passes by while they are waiting around for an appointment, standing in line, waiting for their car to get fixed etc.  I think it was maybe you that I saw last and I must admit, I used to do this mindless waste of of time activity myself. 

Let me ask you a question, what do you do while you are waiting around?  I am sure you are either thinking about what you need to do next, maybe backtracking and thinking if you have any other appointments that you need to keep or you pick up a magazine that happened to be sitting next to you and the most common is watching the bad reception television show that is on at the time.  What a waste of time.  We all complain about not having enough time to accomplish things we want in life but if you actually track the idle time you have throughout the week, you will be amazed at how much "extra" time you have.  Below is a short list of daily things we do that is considered "idle" time. 

• Driving
• Using the restroom (#2)
• Waiting for an appointment
• Waiting for someone
• Standing in line
• Time on the treadmill
• and the list goes on....

Next week, I will be tracking the amount of "idle" time I have throughout the day and reveal the time that I have at the end of the week.  The topic of this article is to prepare yourself to be productive during these moments throughout the day or when an idle moment is upon you.

First off, if you have a working time management schedule and a to-do list, you will not have to try to spend time trying to remember and think of all the appointments or commitments you need to do.  I am currently writing another article on this very subject so subscribe if you want to learn some time management tips.  Another suggestion I have is to have and carry around a little pocket sized notebook to jot down ideas, to-do items or anything that you need to remember for later.  Nowadays with everyone having smartphones and gadgets to jot down notes electronically, we have no reason not to record information wherever and whenever we need to.  I personally use my smartphone, some apps, and I also carry around a small pocket notebook and pen.

So how can you be more productive while you are waiting around?  Well, first you have to prepare yourself and arm yourself with your "weapons" of choice.  What I mean by this is that depending on what you want to do during your waiting around time, you should have the proper tools to fill the time productively.  Let me give a few examples of what I do during my idle time:

Drive Time

I drive quite a bit for my work and I think I have gained quite a bit of knowledge by using that time to not only listen to the news and to the talk radio or to music.  I mix things ups and listen to audiobooks.  Audiobooks are wonderful to have, especially if you don't have time to devour as many books as you want in your busy life.  Think about how much time you spend in traffic driving to work, instead you can use this time to listen to something about history, learn a new language, listen to some personal development information or anything that you find interesting to know more about during your drive time.  The other alternative you have is to waste your time with road rage, or just waste the time with mindless thinking.  Use this time to fill your mind with the things you have always wanted to learn or have interest in learning more about.  Get your Drive Time Degree.... Take a look at some  Self Help Audiobooks, and see what you can listen to while driving.

Restroom Time

Ok, maybe you enjoy staring at the back of the restroom door, look at your thumbs or enjoy your aroma during #2.  How much time do you spend sitting on the throne doing nothing but pushing?  Some people at least pick up a magazine, but magazines are OK... you can spend this time reading something that can improve yourself or inspire you.  Get one of those word of the day books and expand your vocabulary as you donate your waste back to mother earth.  Get inspired by reading short inspiring stories.  For me I read books like,  How to Become a Rainmaker or Speak Like a CEO, you can select from a variety of short easy books to read, learn, motivate and inspire you.  Here is a useful suggestion if you want to build your vocabulary:  1000 Most Important Words.

Waiting for an Appointment or for Someone- Running on Treadmill

If you are sitting around, refrain yourself from being brain dead for 45-60 minutes, make that time productive.  With the variety of tech gadgets available for us I am sure you can save up or afford an mp3 player or even a CD player.  I am sure you can afford a book or get one for free.  The question is, do you have these handy for times of waste, such as waiting around.  Don't be caught without your productivity tools.  Have these tools in your car or better yet, make a little bag that has one or all of your productive time tools ready to pull out when idle time hits.  You can spend this time listening to audiobooks on mp3 players, podcasts that you download from the internet, learn a language, read a book... anything but stare into space and hope your name is called next.  You will be surprised as how much faster time will pass when you have your productivity kit ready to go. 

Here are some more useful things you could do during idle time:

• Review your to-do list:  Check your to-do list, add to them, manage what you have done and what you need to do.  Look over your reminders, shopping lists and get your day to day activities in order.
• Review your Calendar:  I use Microsoft Outlook on my smartphone that automatically syncs with my computer, but you can view upcoming events or appointments and prepare for those.
• Review your eMails:  If you have internet access on your phone or if you have a laptop handy, go through and delete your ever piling mountain of emails.  Now is the best time to do this activity versus doing this during time where you should be doing more productive work.
• Follow up:  Now is not the time to chatter about mindless talk , gossip or rumors-  Pick up the phone and return calls, set appointments, follow up on previous meetings. 
• Work on hobbies:  If you picked up a hobby such as crafts, make sure to keep these things nearby and get into making your creations.
• Relax: Maybe sometimes you just need some mindless time to just be blank and relax, but make sure that is not all you are doing all the time.  Make time for relaxation, but make time to be productive as well.

I hope these tips will help fill your wasted time with productive learning activities that will help you develop your mind, knowledge, productivity and self.