7 Action Steps to Pass Your Time Productively

Has your industry been deeply impacted by COVID19, such as education, travel, tourism, or event sales?

Are you stuck at home with little to do while you wait for the other coronavirus shoe to drop?

Many of us are experiencing unprecedented levels of disruption to our personal and professional lives.

We fear for our futures and wonder what we can do to make the best use of our time and position ourselves for immediate success as soon as the storm passes.

Here are some strategies for what to do with your newfound time:

1. Work on that neglected project – We all have things that we’ve wanted to do FOREVER, such as write that book, build that webpage, organize that event, whatever it is. Use the newfound time at your disposal to do that thing as if it was your actual job. Schedule it with meaningful time blocks and pursue it as if you have a deadline. Divide the job into chunks (such as X number of words typed per day) and stay focused on your goal until it is achieved. Click here for more about setting SMART goals that convert.

2. Read that book and/or take that course – Now is a great time to do that learning that you’ve been putting off. Whether the information you seek is tactical, like a new skill or how to use a tool, something in self-development, or a curiosity that has long interested you, go ahead and add new content and skills to your toolkit.

3. Rewrite your resume and LinkedIn profile – No one knows how this crazy situation will end. If you’ve been let go, worry that you might be, or just want to use this time to explore different and more disaster-proof industries, now would be as good a time as any to review your and enhance your CV and LinkedIn profile. Prioritize the skills that are most valuable and transferable and make sure to emphasize the qualities, such as hard work, collaboration and leadership skills, that most employers seek.

4. Network like crazy – Use the time to make new connections and to get to know them. Send personalized invitations and, where appropriate, request time (virtually or perhaps in-person) to become better acquainted. There are many people out there like you with lots of time on their hands that will be more open than usual to connecting and going deeper than the standard online “handshake.” For more on networking, click here and here.

5. Add value – Whether you’re already connected with someone or want to become so, focus on adding value. This could be in the form of liking, commenting on and sharing their content. It could also include sharing your own in a way that improves others’ conditions. Doing this is a great way of demonstrating the usefulness of your connection and demonstrating why a deeper relationship would be mutually beneficial. 

6. Find a mentor – If you want to take your life and career to the next level, get with someone who is ten steps ahead of you and can shorten your learning curve, point you in the right direction and make connections that will open up new opportunities for you. For more on finding a solid mentor, click here.

7. Get organized – Many of us struggle with cluttered workplaces, especially if they were developed ad hoc as we scurried to get our new virtual workspaces set up. Use the time at your disposal to better organize your things, because a messy, disorganized workspace will lead to a messy, disorganized workflow and limit output.