Would you be able to get stuff done in this kind of scenario? I did. In fact, I managed to update a weeks’ worth of social media posts, write a blog post, catch up on some webinars I have been meaning to watch, catch up on some emails I’ve been waiting to address and even got in a few good workouts!
There are a lot of times when we have certain commitments that take us away from our routine or regular work environment. These commitments don’t require a lot of our attention but do make it harder to get stuff done that we would be doing if we were back at the office. There are a lot of great ways you can maximize your productivity in these scenarios despite this change of scenery.
Stay Productive When Resources Are Limited
There are many scenarios where we are committed to something that doesn’t require our full focus but also doesn’t allow us to maintain our typical productivity and workflow.
- Business trips or conferences. Odds are, you will want/have/need some down time away from the people you are on this trip to see. While a hotel room may provide wi-fi and electricity, you might be limited in the other resources you’ll have access to such as necessary files or paperwork.
- Hospital waiting rooms. Like Rachel, there will be times when we are stuck in a hospital or doctor’s office waiting room.
- Children’s little league games. If your child tends to warm the bench more than actually play, you might be there to support them but aren’t needing to be as focused on the game as if your child were the star player.
Pro Solo Crow’s Landing
I just got back from a trip to San Francisco with my husband. He races Autocross and had a national Pro Solo race in Crow’s Landing. For those who have never had the opportunity to attend a race of this sort, there is a lot of down time unless you really love to watch all of the other drivers. This wasn’t exactly a vacation as he was going to be occupied with other tasks associated with the event even when he wasn’t actually driving. Therefore, I had a lot of extra time on my hands.
Picture this. A large parking lot (or, in this case, an old air strip) in the middle of nowhere. Facilities consist of port-a-johns and whatever food and water you bring to site. Camp chairs and a few pop-up tents for shade make up a waiting area. There’s no electricity and no tables.
So here I was with PLENTY of time and a lack of resources. In years past, I would have simply brought a book and resigned myself to catching up on some reading. That isn’t a bad thing, but that wasn’t where my focus was. Therefore, I did some careful planning and decided I was going to get stuff done while out there! And the plan I followed is one you can follow too.
Create a Plan
Having an excellent plan is the only way to pull off maximum efficiency and stay productive without all of your go-to resources. Here’s what you’ll need to consider.
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What resources will be available for you to stay productive?
- In the case above, I didn’t have unlimited electricity but I did have a truck that allowed for charging even when the engine was off. I could keep all of my devices charged without worry.Consider whether you will have access to things like electricity, a table and chair, lighting, etc… Also consider what you will be able to bring with you. Can you bring a folder with paperwork to go through? What programs will you be able to access if you don’t have wi-fi or mobile data?Challenge yourself to think outside the box. If you don’t have access to electricity, can you bring a portable charger? If you won’t have wi-fi or mobile data where you are, can you download necessary content in advance?
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What would you like to accomplish?
- This question comes second because your resources will determine what you are capable of getting done. You may not be able to accomplish the things you feel are your top priorities because the resources to do those things aren’t available. However, you can still stay productive. Look at what you will be able to accomplish given what you will have access to and then create a solid list. You can take advantage of these opportunities. It is an excellent way to get caught up on things you might never get around to when in your normal work environment. It might be a great time to process emails that have been in your inbox for a while. Or it might be the perfect opportunity to get caught up on some necessary reading or writing.
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Prepare in advance.
- Now that you know what resources will be available and have a list of what you’d most like to accomplish, prepare in advance. This might be loading any necessary files on a laptop or tablet, making sure you have a good notebook and a couple of pens, or even gathering up some receipts to be sorted and filed. Make sure you go through your list and have what you will need for each task.
Looking for more ideas on how to stay productive while waiting?
Be Flexible
When you don’t get hung up on the outcome, that’s how you to stay productive in this scenario. I had more than enough things to keep me productive. Rather than focusing on what was most important, I focused on those things that were easy given the circumstances. Writing turned out to be harder than I had expected so I wasn’t going to push myself beyond one blog post. However, it was easy to watching webinars I had downloaded in advance and take notes.
You don’t have to be unproductive when faced with times when there are limited resources. Getting the most of these opportunities just requires some careful planning. Take into consideration what resources will be available and what you would like to accomplish. Then be sure to prepare in advance so that you have what you will need to succeed. And always remember to stay flexible.