In our busy lives, it often feels like there’s never enough time to get everything done.
We wish we could split ourselves into multiple people so we can do all the things, but the truth is we can't. But, what if I told you that hidden moments of productivity exist in your daily routine? What if I told you that you are wasting valuable time and don't even know it?
Okay okay I know a little dramatic, but seriously it is a game changer and I want to share the secret with you so you can take advantage of as many of those 1, 440 minutes that you can, without feeling like all you do is work.
First, let's identify where these hidden moments are in your day.
Think about all the times you were waiting in a long line at the store, sitting in a waiting room, commuting, or even while sitting at one or many your child’s practice(s). All these times can be leveraged for meaningful progress on your to-do list if you plan ahead and use the time wisely.
Now I'm not saying that you always have to use these moments for this purpose. However, what I am saying is that we often could use the time and don't, not because we don't want to but because we don't think to. I want to change your mindset around these pockets of time so you can leverage them when and if you would like or need to.
So, I want to introduce you to the concept of Filler Tasks.
Filler tasks are small, manageable tasks that can be completed in short bursts of time. Usually the time is anywhere between 15 mins and an hour. It's often when you are on the go and in most cases you are not sitting at a desk. You may not even have internet service.
The tasks completed during these time are usually things that don't take a lot of time or brain power. They may be things that are just tedious or are lower on our list of things to do. They usually need to be done but don’t necessarily require a long, dedicated work session. Instead of taking up valuable time that can be used for more focused work you can use these moments to complete batched tasks. This allows you to chip away at your to do list without disrupting your main priorities.
In normal fashion, I want to give you an example of how I use filler tasks in my day because I know seeing is often times believing. I often write content during my filler time, sometimes that's long content, short content, content ideas, outlines, etc. I also use the time to research topics by listening to podcasts. I check emails, schedule meetings and listen to training classes.
As far as when do I take advantage of my filler tasks? I will use the hour that my daughter is at tumbling practice on Saturday mornings to write or edit content. I will use my drive to and from the office to listen to podcasts that I've pre-selected. When I am on a plane I will either take a training class, write or edit content, or listen to a podcast or a book because listen it isn't always about business tasks. When I'm waiting at a doctor's office or on a long drive (as a passenger) I will also research things, make lists or plan out something.
Here are some filler tasks that can easily fit into your day:
? Reading vendor update emails
? Checking and responding to non-urgent emails
? Catching up on newsletters
? Browsing curated news or industry updates from apps like Flipboard
? Returning phone calls
? Drafting blog posts or articles
? Creating graphics for social media or marketing
? Listening to educational or industry-related podcasts
? Researching key information for projects
? Sorting through or filing mail or papers
As you can see, the possibilities are endless. Whether it’s a five-minute wait or a 30-minute commute, you can turn wasted time into productive time. Oh and although many of my examples may lean towards the business side of things the same thing is true for the home and personal space. Plug in things that you would like to accomplish in both areas that you could turn into filler tasks and insert them.
To truly take advantage of filler time, preparation is essential. You never know when an unexpected window of time will open up, so having the right tools ready is key.
For example, when I wanted to learn more about LinkedIn’s Newsletter feature, I pre-loaded a playlist of related podcasts. That way, during my commute, I could listen and learn effortlessly—without pulling time away from family or work obligations.
Your phone is a mini computer that if setup correctly can be a powerful asset in your filler tasks process. The key is to make sure you have a seamless way to capture, and cue up things that need to be done. It keeps you from having to carry around papers and books with you to keep track of everything.
Now, if you are team paper, I figure you are giving me the side eye right now because this won't always work for you. If adapting to electronic for these tasks will drastically alter your way of doing things, I'd recommend you have a "traveling" book or binder with you in your purse or car that has that week's filler tasks in it. This again may be more cumbersome so I'm not sure I'd recommend it, but everything is adaptable, take the concept and adapt it until you find what works for you.
I am a huge proponent of having tools that are responsive. They are available via a laptop and a mobile device. So, make sure you are using those tools if you have them for these types of tasks. You can ensure the things you need are available on the go.
Be mindful of things you may need to identify in a specific way or move into a folder so they’re easy to accessible on the go.
Keep your tablet, phone, or laptop ready for when you have a few minutes to work. There is nothing worse than thinking you are going to work on something during your filler time to only see that your device is at 25% and there is no charger available.
You also want to make sure you have backup items to use when needed like ear pods or earphones, your readers (come on my seasoned folks), Any external drives you use regularly.
Just get into the habit of keeping things charged and consider having a travelling version or pair of everything you use that makes sense. For example, I keep a pair of old school earphones in my car and in my traveling backpack I have extra usb cords, wall chargers and corded earphones. All lessons learned from days of being caught without them. We even have chargers, readers, and other household items dedicated to our vehicles so we never have to worry about having them.
Whether it’s articles, podcasts, or documents, make sure you can access them offline. There is nothing worse than sitting to do something being all excited about getting some stuff done to realize you can't access it. Especially on a long flight. So, set your emails to offline mode so you know you will have emails available up to a certain point. Make sure before you head out that you place the document(s) you need either locally on your device OR if you have a hotspot on your mobile device you can turn that on and have internet access (note you need to be mindful of your cellular plan and whether there is a fee for this or not).
Creating a "driving" podcast playlist was a game changer for me. I could research podcasts I want to listen to (note this is another filler task) and just add them to that playlist. That way when I'm in the car I don't have to touch my phone it will just play them straight through. Learning on the go.
If you have access to a learning portal that allows the downloading of training or episodes for offline access take advantage of it. You don't know how many times I have completed training courses this way. Many of those lessons are 3 - 10 mins, so I can easily knock out a bulk of the training sitting in the doctor's office (Not throwing shade here but yawl know you take too long to call us back!) or at a school practice.
Now this is one of the most important steps, because without this you are often just doing a little bit of everything. Identify things that you can do on the go and earmark when you plan to do them. Some filler tasks don't have a deadline, they are just as you get to them items. However others are things that do have a deadline, so for those you want to note the day and time when you plan to knock it out. So if you think ok I need to read this report. Look to see when you will have time to do it and don't ignore those times when a filler task period could work.
Over time you will not need to make a list but will know your general filler tasks and when you typically do one over the other. This will enable you to choose something productive instead of defaulting to mindless scrolling on social media. I think the key thing to remember is a filler tasks is moving you forward towards your goals. So it has a high return on investment. I am not sure how high of an investment mindless scrolling will have for you. Focused purposeful use of social media, now that's something different.
Setting up systems and processes that allow you to automatically take advantage of filler time will transform the way you approach productivity. It’s not about overloading yourself—it’s about maximizing the small moments so they add up over time.
What are some filler tasks you can start incorporating into your routine with a little preparation? Share your thoughts in the comments!
The content shared on DLMorales.com strives to teach side-hustling and full-time solopreneurs how to manage a successful business and life using holistic systems. The text in this post is provided by DLMorales and edited by ChatGPT. The goal is to help you identify the right systems and processes so you aren't spending money or time on unnecessary things and instead can spend that time and money focusing on the things that are most important to you, your family.
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