Let’s think of these common places:
- A bank
- A dentist
- A tax office
- A grocery store
- A post office
- An airport
Now, let me ask you: what is the very common thing that you may have to do in all of these places?
Yes, you are right: waiting.
Unfortunately, this what you have probably done a lot in the past and in fact, waiting your turn makes you bored and even annoyed. You feel even more emotional about the waiting, if you have a
Great post. I’d also add that sometimes waiting time is great to use for resting during what is an otherwise super busy day. Sometimes I simply close my eyes or stare at a wall in an effort to clear and center my mind. 15 minutes of that really improves my mood for the rest of the day!
Thank you JJ!
Of course, you don’t have to be active all the time – not even during the waiting times.
I have been thinking about this too what you just said – our brains need rest at times
Good point!
Cheers,
Timo
Really nice post, I find waiting times (at the barber, etc.) to be a particularly valuable time for drafting blog posts – you often feel a bit rushed as you know you can be “summoned” at any time, so this creates a bit of a sense of urgency and you lose the opportunity to try and be “perfect” – which you should avoid on a first draft anyway. Thus, I usually take my iPad in such situations, as it’s more compact than a laptop but easier to write on than a smart phone.
Thank you Greg!
I agree, waiting times are perfect for doing some drafting stuff.
Cheers,
Timo
This is an excellent post! It reminds me a lot of Zig Ziglar’s “Automobile University”, which basically talks about how the amount of time we spend in traffic each day can add up to the amount of time we would spend in university, and this time can be used to learn all sorts of things.
Most of the time when I’m waiting for something or traveling from one destination to another, I like to read books to educate myself and work on my lists for things to do the next day (I use the notes in my phone to do this). Other times, I like to just use the waiting time as a way to recollect my thoughts and consciously be in the present moment.
Thank you Will!
Yes, reading is one of my favorite things to do when waiting.
I just love my Kindle :)
Cheers,
Timo