By Paul Birdwell (paul@roaringforkagency.com)
Most of us here at the Roaring Fork Agency spend our workdays dreaming of ways to put together sponsorship deals for our clients but every once in awhile we need a break from that dreaming and Laura Vanderkam at Fast Company has come up with some great advice for spending any extra 5 minutes we might have available during taxing days at the office:
“The ubiquity of smart phones means we never lack for a way to spend time. Stuck waiting for the elevator for 30 seconds? Next thing you know you’ve got your phone out of your pocket, and you’re deleting newsletters you can’t remember subscribing to.
Cleaning out the inbox feels productive, but in the grand scheme of things it’s not all that fun. Nor is it accomplishing much. At the end of your life, no one’s going to talk about your pristine inbox. Here are 17 better ways to spend bits of time to bring bits of joy into an ordinary day:
1. WORK ON YOUR BUCKET LIST
Pull it up, read what you’ve got on it, and start adding.
2. LISTEN TO A FAVORITE SONG.
Yes, you’ll need to use your headphones, but jamming out to Katy Perry for three minutes and 30 seconds will probably leave you feeling more energized than deleting marketing emails for a similar quantity of time.
3. READ A LITTLE BIT
Want to read more? You don’t need free hours to make it happen. DailyLit.com sends bite sized chunks of classics to your inbox, but you can also just keep a regular book in your desk drawer and read it, one page at a time. Books of poetry are good for this. You’re in and out (unless it’s The Wasteland).
4. TEXT YOUR PARTNER OR YOUR CHILDREN
Tell them you’re thinking about them. Text a friend to ask her about her day. Call, if you think the person might be available.
5. WRITE IN A JOURNAL
Jotting down a sentence here and there on specific moments of awesomeness can help you remember that your life is, in fact, awesome.
6. WRITE A REAL LETTER
Keep some note cards and stationery around and write a note to someone whose birthday is coming up, or a friend or colleague who did something intriguing. There’s no need to write more than three or four sentences, and you can definitely do that in five minutes. A random thank you note to someone who isn’t expecting one could actually make someone’s day.
7. STRETCH
Assume some other posture than the usual one of your rear in the chair, and breathe deeply.”
Read the other 10 Productive Ways To Spend 5 Minutes Instead of Checking Your Email (Again) here...
Also don’t miss at Fast Company their terrific Work – Smart section which is a regularly updated blog that details “the apps, tactics, tips, and brain hacks to help you work smarter instead of harder” which is must-read in the Go-Go World that we all live in today.
Fast Company - www.fastcompany.com
If you have any questions about event sponsorship or venue naming rights contact the Roaring Fork Agency at:
paul@roaringforkagency.com
415 730 - 4854
Aspen, Colorado
Tiburon, California
Incline Village, Nevada
Santa Monica, California
Newport Beach, California
Twitter - @RoaringForkAgcy