7 ways to maximize your productivity everyday
[bctt tweet=”Being productive is not about working longer, it’s about working smarter & achieving more” via=”no”] There was a girl that would wake up at 4.45am every morning to set off for work at 5.00 am. She would stop by the gym for an hour before arriving at work; eat breakfast between 8.30 am and 9.00 am after wading through morning rush traffic. During work, she would often drift off into her own world on her phone, trying to make personal plans because there really was no spare time for other spheres of life. How did Beyoncé do it anyway? Short concentration spans began to set in and before the blink of an eye, it was already closing time. This usually meant time to journey through traffic again. These traffic bouts amounted to 6 hours daily and feelings of underachievement would often arise. That girl was me! Taking charge of my productivity and life is a daily (and not yearly) resolution which has enabled me highlight a few life hacks. Have you been wallowing in disbelief of how you never manage to be very productive? Maybe you have recently taken on a new role at work or have greater developments in your business. Being productive is not about working longer and harder, it’s about working smarter and achieving more. Here are seven ways to effectively maximize your productivity every day: Get quality sleep Even as an adult, you should be having nothing less than 7-8 hours of sleep every day. Anything short of this is simply killing your productivity potential. Apart from gaining a huge 13% on mortality rates compared to those that get more sleep, a recent study also confirms that the US loses up to $411 Billion on productivity from people that sleep less than 6 hours every day. Get to work or attend to your business with a relaxed mind so you can make the most out of your thinking time. Eat brain food Adjusting your diet will do great things for your productivity levels. It is advised to never skip breakfast; but eating heavy and starchy food in the morning can be counterproductive as it you may feel tired a few hours into the day. Endeavour to choose a healthy meal plan that reflects your activity levels to give you a burst of energy and not lethargy. This means a lot more vegetables, lean meats and water with your meals while you have fruits and nuts as snacks. Fighting the urge to sleep rather than work with a clear mind is not the formula to smashing your goals! [bctt tweet=”Choose a healthy meal plan that reflects your activity levels to give you a burst of energy” via=”no”] Drop it like a squat! Exercise has proven several times over to be therapeutic, creating a positive effect on your productivity levels. Memory concentration and mental alertness are just a couple benefits associated with regular physical activity. Engaging in a regular exercise regimen promises better sleep and the regular release of endorphins -the feel-good chemicals that bring about your inexplicable happiness. Whether you choose to hit the gym, do yoga, join a dance class or play a sport, make sure your activities are diversified to avoid boredom. Make a weekly goal To increase your productivity, create and document a goal to accomplish by the end of the week. Whether you are setting targets at work, or planning expansion strategies for your new business, it is wise to set specific and realistic goals that you can reasonably achieve within the space of one week. Remember that goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-Based. Create a task timeline It is extremely useful to make a list of your daily tasks and allocate time slots to each task so that you can manage your time efficiently and have productive ‘working’ time. Ensure to have short breaks to eat and rest your mind in between tasks to prevent fatigue. Tick off each task as you complete them and feel accomplished! No phone zone If you are battling a major addiction of toying with your phone, it’s probably best to switch it off completely or work in another room if you work from home. Chatting, Candy Crush and social media can all wait while you make money. Focusing only on work for allocated periods of time will increase your productivity levels. However, if your job involves the use of social media, you have to concentrate only on your current task at hand and not cyber stock people on Twitter and Instagram. [bctt tweet=”Memory concentration is just one benefit associated with regular physical activity” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Daily recap At the end of the day, recap all your tasks including the incomplete ones and others that need more research or tweaking. Recapping at the end of the day allows you time to cool off and give yourself constructive criticism, seeing how you can be more productive the next day. To really compare your state of affairs to your impending progress, try these seven tips for a week and watch out for any differences in your productivity. Remember that if you dislike your situation, you can always change it. I can assure you that there will be no turning back!
Three hacks to help you beat procrastination
[bctt tweet=”Serial procrastinator? You’ll need these 3 hacks to help you out when procrastination hits” via=”no”] We’ve all had those days. Ones where we just can’t seem to get our fingers moving on our keyboards or can’t find the words for that e-mail. Here are three hacks to helping you save time when procrastination hits. 1. Create keyboard shortcuts Spent all morning procrastinating? Save time by creating shortcuts when texting on your Samsung phone. Use a text snippet expander like the TextExpander custom keyboard to reduce time when sending those bulk e-mails. What’s the tick? Set up shorthand to stand in for a longer text. For example, if you text “eml” your full personal email address would appear. Always signing off with the same sentences? Cut out all that time by setting up a snippet. 2. Scanning business cards and receipts Make up for the time spent procrastinating by scanning your business cards, instead of manually inputting them into your Samsung phone. Save the time you spend cleaning out those nasty receipts from the bottom of your purse and the time you would spend scanning and filing them. ScanBizCards is an app from the Galaxy Apps store that lets you scan business cards on the spot. 3. Download work-related podcasts That procrastination time might as well be well spent. If you’re not going to type that e-mail, then you might as well be retaining some skills to keep you in the hustle. Use your off time to listen to business-related podcasts. Take your time to listen to a few and then pick your favourite; listen to it while you’re scrolling through Instagram or taking that 3:00pm snack break. We recommend the 500 Startups podcast; it’s filled with stories and lessons from entrepreneurs who have made that side hustle their full time hustle. Keep these three tricks in hand to make up for yesterday’s binge watch of Big Little Lies. Sponsored post
How you can use your Samsung phone to reach your goals faster
Procrastination got you down? Can’t stop scrolling 30 weeks back on your friend’s brother’s University friend’s girlfriend’s Instagram profile? Know every single pose Beyonce has done during pregnancy? Have you seen every single comedy skit on every single Nigerian comedy page and now you’re looking for new countries to laugh at? If this is you, please raise your hand. We’ve pulled together three great tips to help you keep the ball rolling even when you may want to keep scrolling. Even better they all can be done using your phone. 1. Set daily goals An oldie but a goodie. We at SLA are HUGE fans of daily goals. So much so that we have to send them to our managers in the morning with a check-in and then report back with a check-out at the end of the day. Our trick to stay on track? Before sending over our goals, we open the notepad on our Samsung phones and jot down a rough draft of our goals before sending over the final copy. This helps us stay on track to make sure we’ve got our content ready to share with you. If you forget to jot down your daily goals, set an alarm on your phone. Once you get in the habit, it becomes habitual and easier to meet them. 2. The 15-minute rule “This is a tomorrow problem”…my favourite expression. When I’m procrastinating something to tomorrow, this is what I tell myself. How do I beat it? The 15-minute rule. That tricky task you haven’t been able to get to has met its match. Take out your Samsung phone and set an alarm for 15 minutes. Tell yourself that you’ll do nothing else for those 15 minutes and get to work. You’ll find once those 15 minutes are up the ball will be rolling; you won’t even notice the alarm and keep on the task at hand. Procrastination – 0, You – 1. 3. Take advantage of your commute Ahh, what a joy, the morning commute! If that 30-minute bus ride turns into an hour, use that time wisely. Catch up on those e-mails from yesterday, use this time to write down your daily goals or start brainstorming about the afternoon’s meeting. If you keep a few tricks up your sleeve to help with those down days, you’ll be set to rise above your procrastination. Sponsored post
Should you plan ahead or just ‘go with the flow’?
[bctt tweet=”You need intention and you need to have some sort of plan with your life” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] There’s nothing wrong with occasionally going ‘with the flow’ when it comes to events that are not major. Like just deciding to get in your car and driving to wherever the road may lead you, we all need to be a little spontaneous at times! The problem with ‘going with the flow’ is not knowing where that flow will lead you. I came across a statement that said: “the trouble with going with the flow is, you might wind up getting sucked down the drain”, and isn’t that true? The danger of moving without a clear plan There are times when going with the flow feels great, the times when everything just seems to fall into place. And sure enough, there are times we have no control over situations, and we have to just go with the flow of things. The tricky thing about going with the flow is that firstly, it takes time to notice things going astray and you may fall into traps, which you could have been able to avoid, had you had a clear set plan. The second reason why going with the flow is not always the wisest thing to do is that if all you do is “go with the flow”, you put yourself at risk of losing focus and allowing yourself to settle for less than what you can achieve. You need intention and you need to have some sort of plan, which maps out how you will get to your target. Life is unpredictable and we often have to deal with things we have not been prepared for. However, planning ahead is still the better thing to do, if you have planned properly, you can always go to ‘Plan B’. Also, if you plan ahead you can usually assess the risks involved, and that may save you from unforeseen challenges. Your plan doesn’t have to be incredibly researched or very detailed but it should have some general idea on how you will achieve or approach a specific situation. It will always make it easier for you to take the next step required in your situation. A plan works exactly like a map –you know how hard it can be trying to get to a place with no directions. What would have taken a few minutes, can easily end up taking hours! The same can be said when you go through each year or day-to-day activities without any form of direction; you may find yourself circling the same place over and over again –but with a plan you have some form of direction, meaning you can go straight to your destination point without going through the same circles. Why planning is important #1 You have a clearer vision of where you want to go. #2 It makes it easier to examine the risks involved. #3 There’s no wasted time; therefore you can achieve your goals in a shorter time frame. #4 Should something go wrong, you can always move to ‘plan B’. My go-to manual for all matters of life, the word of God says: “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” – Proverbs 15:22. We should never forget that there are people who have already been where we need to go. There are people who can guide you in the right direction. That’s what communities like SLA are for. So, if you have not already done so, it’s time to start making a plan about the steps you need to take to get to the top in 2017. You can’t allow yourself to go with the flow… we need to be intentional!
Career insights from Mo Abudu
[bctt tweet=”To be an entrepreneur, know that bright ideas are great & more wisdom from Mo Abudu” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] I believe Africa is blessed with many talented women from different industries and each has managed to carve a niche in their respected fields. Mo Abudu is one of those women who has broken the “glass ceiling” concept and risen above the perception that just because you are a woman you can’t advance higher. Mosunmola “Mo” Abudu is a 50 year old successful Entrepreneur, Media Personality, Talk Show Host, TV producer, Human Resource Consultant and founder of EbonyLife TV. She is described by Forbes as one of “Africa’s most successful women” and by CNN as the “African Oprah.” She was born in the UK and holds a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Westminster, London. Her career started in 1987 when she worked as a Recruitment Officer. Since then she has worked with companies like Starform Group and Exxon Mobil (formerly known as Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria). In 2000, she started a privately owned HR development company called Vic Lawrence & Associates Limited (VLA). Mo Abudu is the executive producer and host of TV show Moments with Mo. She is the creator and executive producer of The Debates —a reality TV show with the aim of giving Africa a voice and is also the founder of The Inspire Africa Foundation. Mo has managed to create an image for herself in the media industry; she is known as the leader in the television industry. With all these appellations and accolades, African ladies sure have a lot to learn from her. Every lady envisions success. You grow up striving to be successful not just in your career but in your family and relationships. But success isn’t something that comes from sitting down all day doing nothing. It doesn’t come from lazing around and daydreaming either. [bctt tweet=”Execution is everything, amazing career insight from Mo Abudu” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Rather it’s the combined effort of hard work and determination that sets the motion for success. Shonda Rhimes said, “Dreams are lovely. But they are just dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral, pretty. But dreams do not come true because you dream them. It is hard work that makes things happen. It’s hard work that creates change.” 1. Execution “Anyone who wishes to be an entrepreneur must know that bright ideas are great, however, that is not even half of the work; execution is everything.” – Mo Abudu Mo does not joke with any one of her projects; whenever an idea comes to mind, she puts her all in order to bring it to fruition. Her advice to upcoming entrepreneurs is to be ready to do twice the work for half the usual reward. 2. Having the right information It goes without saying that “knowledge is power.” How much info do you have on your chosen career path? Do you have adequate info or are you still going around in circles? It’s necessary that you garner as much information as possible before venturing into any career. 3. Age is just a number Mo Abudu said “I’ve been a brand ambassador for Nigeria since I was age 11. Growing up in the U.K, I’ve had to defend Nigeria and when I was 40, I finally woke up and decided to do something, and that’s how the talk show came about.” We’re all familiar with the saying “age is just a number” but often times this applies to marriages. George Eliot said it is never too late to be what you might have been. With Mo Abudu age is definitely nothing but a number. At 52, she’s still letting the world know that she’s got a lot to offer Africa and that age doesn’t stand as a barrier. 4. Drive and Passion If there’s one thing that makes Mo stand out, it is her passion for giving Africa a voice. For aspiring entrepreneurs, it’s good to be passionate about your career because that will motivate you even when you don’t feel like working. In an interview with Variety Mo said, “I don’t really see my work as work…I just love what I do.” So ladies, there you have it, some of Mo’s career insights into being successful. It’s good to dream but it’s much better if you work your way into achieving them.
9 personality traits for guaranteed success
Ever seen the look of surprise when certain men hear that you are the Managing Director or CEO? Most women are generally content and more likely to take a back-seat when it comes to leadership roles. However, being a woman shouldn’t hold you back or alter your chances of success. It all comes down to personality. You need to develop confidence and a fiercely independent attitude for determination to succeed. Read on to learn more about the important qualities that prosperous businesswomen possess and how to develop them. 1. Ambitious Being successful is not only about being an expert in your industry, but also having the desire to see the bigger picture, and play a greater role in society. A successful entrepreneur has a vision and can see the path ahead and be able to inspire others to help them turn a dream into a reality. 2. Entrepreneurial and hard-working Women can be extremely resourceful. We are able to identify opportunities and develop the relationships that are needed to get work done. Hard work is our secret to success and to be successful you has to learn to sacrifice most of your spare time to build up your business. 3. Passionate Successful female entrepreneurs have a passion for what they do because they tend to develop businesses through the things they enjoy doing. Women have been stereotyped as emotional leaders by men, but really we are just passionate about success and excellence. What you need to do is find your own passion and once you believe in it, turn it into something you can really be proud of. 4. Optimistic/Positive attitude In the face of adversity, you need to be bold enough to stand the test of time. The tendency to look on the positive side of events or conditions helps you maintain a hopeful outlook. With an optimistic perspective, one expects the most favourable outcome, and as such, is more likely to get that favourable outcome. The ability to analyse situations, see the good side of projects and the results showcases a person’s attitude and level of confidence. This trait is contagious. 5. Confidence One of the defining characteristics of being successful is confidence —the ability to understand what you are capable of. A confident personality is essential to win the hearts, respect and earn the trust of clients and build a profitable business with a solid reputation. There is no point in starting a business unless you are confident and believe that you are destined for success. To be a successful Motherland Mogul, you need to stand tall and hold your head up high. Whenever you are around and engaging with other people, smile, shake hands and always maintain eye contact. 6. Assertiveness You also need to be straightforward and confident in our communication with others to enable them to seize new opportunities. You’ll be greatly respected for this. In order to express your ideas, values and abilities you need to be assertive and confident. As a woman, when you are are self-assured, your peers will treat you with respect. Be fearless and learn to speak with authority and purpose. Remember though to also keep calm and deal with criticism rationally. 7. Aggressiveness Being aggressive doesn’t necessarily mean fighting all the time. It involves bringing constructive energy to projects to make sure that things get done. You can enhance this personality trait by developing a determined attitude to make sure you see things through until they are done. 8. Persistence We all get tested and life knocks us down now and again, the secret is in remembering to get back up when we fall. I have one motto, to always remind myself why I started even when I face challenges or opposition. Starting something is one thing, but keeping it going and making sure it’s a success is another. You need to learn the power of persistence and never give up. 9. Humility The business industry is always changing, so you will constantly need to keep up and remain innovative. Successful Motherland Moguls understand this and are willing to put in the extra work to learn and improve. Read books, attend workshops and learn from others. Remain humble and don’t ever be afraid to admit that you don’t know everything.
Procrastination: The bad, the ugly, and how to deal with It
[bctt tweet=”You can’t be a #MotherlandMogul if you’re a serial procrastinator, time to break free” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Do you always apologize for delayed work? Do you feel guilty that you missed the deadline again, for the umpteenth time? And if you did finish the work, it was at the last minute after scrambling with time? Well, let’s cut to the chase. You are a serial procrastinator who pushes the production of any work forward to the next day, next week, next month, next year and eventually to never, instead of pulling it forward. For that reason, procrastination is the opposite of productivity. Many people are procrastinators, and they do not even know it. Sometimes procrastination can be good. For example, I sometimes have to push forward writing an article because I just don’t have the right word or phrase to start the piece. But once I get the inspiration, I embark on writing and occasionally, I have to type it while on my toes. Do you really need to procrastinate? If you can’t push forward looking good before going out for a date, you shouldn’t hold back writing that proposal that you have been sitting on for the past three months. Today is the time! To make sense of procrastination, its effects and how to deal with it, I caught up with Ken Munyua, a business support and training manager at Talent Recruit Limited in Nairobi, Kenya. According to Mr. Munyua, who is also a psychologist, “Procrastination is the inability to undertake urgent duties with the haste they deserve.” He adds that it could be as a result of a habit — “choosing not to take things seriously and execute them promptly, which later turns into bad behaviour.” “Procrastination is both a behavioural and a psychological issue. It starts as a habit and turns to uncontrollable aspects.” [bctt tweet=”Extensive inactive procrastination can also contribute to lowering one’s self-esteem” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Self-loathing? Apart from degenerating into bad behaviour, extensive inactive procrastination can also contribute to lowering one’s self-esteem. How, you ask? Munyua notes that the inability to perform necessary tasks always leads one to be in problem be it in school, at home or in business. “The constant reminder and backlash from the seniors make one feel as if they are victimized or segregated from the others.” What’s more, this can cause you to loathe yourself for not being able to meet individual or collective goals on time. No one wants to feel less of a person for always being late in doing something, and when one does, they may feel unwanted or unloved, leading to a downward trend of one’s self-esteem. Many women in business are caught up in the procrastination web due to a few reasons. Munyua outlined three major reasons why procrastination is common: The wish to be perfect: Some people wait to do work to its best. At the end, they do it in a hurry to the point of not delivering it well. Poor planning: Some business women like to plan work in terms of urgency and importance. Thus, there are delays on the important aspects of work. Others are easily swayed away by distractors. [bctt tweet=”@MaureenMurori sought expert help in this article on overcoming procrastination ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How to overcome procrastination “A habit which grows over time becomes a bad addiction. Do not form it; learn to concentrate on what is your task before any other duty,” advises Munyua. He adds that people should learn to avoid distractions, be they human or technological. Avoid delays: Always live to do what is expected now and not tomorrow! Draw a plan: It is advisable to set priorities and consider the urgency of the work. Write it down on paper: When it is written on paper, work becomes real and demands commitment. Set personal deadlines before the stipulated ones. This ensures that you are always ahead. Reward yourself: Rewarding yourself for achieved goals, motivates you to work harder to achieve more in future. Rewards can be as trivial as ticking an achieved activity, to a chocolate bar or a holiday in Hawaii. The choice is yours. Avoid distractions like social media, and friends who do not share in your vision. Endeavour to learn from those who had the same issues and were able to resolve them. When all is said and done, procrastination can be a symptom of an underlying technical or moral failure. It is important to check and recheck why you need to push work forward. Could it be due to the fact that the work isn’t working for you? If so, you should plan to change the work or your approach to it.
6 simple, realistic ways of staying inspired and motivated
Do you have moments when you simply want to get things done, move from where you at in life to the next stage, yet have zero motivation? Have you been trying to stay inspired? Things may not be going too great as planned, or you simply have so much to do and are overwhelmed so burn out takes the better part of you. Yasss, you are on the right track reading this. This is the article for you, I’ll be sharing 6 simple realistic ways of staying motivated and inspired. 1. Write your top three tasks of the day Write down your three tasks of the day. If you have more go ahead jot them down, but be realistic. What are the three main agendas you have that’s are so crucial for you to finish today? Find them out and start planning your day around these tasks. Remember to keep the number at three! 2. Practice the 50/10 rule Now that we have established the main tasks that need to be completed today, let’s get started. Work on one important task of the day for 50 minutes, then take a 10 minute break to refocus. Plan your tasks in order of priority, this way you get what should be done urgently completed and in good time. It isn’t easy but it can be done… 3. Reflect daily This a habit many of us forego mainly because we are probably tired by the time its evening and after a long day at work. But guess what they say, what you do after work is the most important part of your future. Squeeze in some time for reflection, this will help you self-evaluate your day and know what works and what does not. This way, you are also able to account for your time which is again very important. 4. Focus on what makes you happy Try as much as possible to indulge in your favourite things through the week, and each days. Let’s be fair, not everything we do is fun and interesting. Some may not be our favourite, but the thing is they have to be done. So we have to find ways to be inspired and get stuff done when nobody else will. Express gratitude more often than not. I have started doing a gratitude walk over the weekend, especially on Sunday evenings. During my gratitude walk, I just say out all things I am grateful for. Later on through the week, I write down 5-10 things I am grateful for in any particular day. It really makes you happier, and gives you more motivation to get what you need done, accomplished. Try it! 5. Keep learning This is a key factor in growing and personal development. This can be easily done through reading, browsing and brainstorming sessions. Research online, make tutorials your best of friend. There is so much you can gain out there on Youtube. Cultivate a reading culture. As opposed to going for drinks with the same friends over again and over again, try to meet new people. Network and form support groups. These are essential so your coffee, lunch or drink meet-ups becomes more meaningful. Sharing knowledge and learning, keeps you inspired. This way you stay on track and motivated. Lastly … 6. Stay healthy Hydrate, drink lots of water throughout your day. Whether you’re running errands or at your desk, get accustomed to this habit, you will thank me later! Other than keeping you feeling fresh, alive and energetic water is very good for your skin, we all know this. You can throw in some cucumbers, lemon wedges or even strawberries if you are not a fan of plain water. Exercise if you can, walk, jog, hit the gym for a full work out. Make time for this as it improves your mood. Also, ensure to always get some good rest/sleep at night.
10 reasons you should be your own #MotherlandMogul before and after marriage
I remember the day it dawned on me that my husband would have his own income. After a long day on campus, I got home tired and needing a long hot shower but feeling so fulfilled. It was in this long shower that I suddenly had this thought, “Somewhere across the world my husband is coming home from a long day of grinding too”. This was the first time that I realized that I could one day enjoy the fruits of my husband’s labor. I have thought of how tall I want him to be, how I want him to be chocolate like Idris Elba and intellectual like Nate Parker but I had never thought of the kind of money he would make. I guess I have never really felt like I was entitled to his labor. I have always thought; I can’t change my own tire or kill a roach on my own but darn it I can make my own money. Too many of our African movies depict the man leaving for work while the woman stays at home wearing her perfectly ironed dress (because we all wake up excited to wear a head wrap and make breakfast). It’s either that or my personal favorite, the scene where the girl’s best friend —or better yet her mother— tells her she is stupid for not liking the rich business man who likes her. Because God forbid we love a man for other things besides his money. I think we can do better. Here are my 10 reasons why you should want to be a #MotherlandMogul before and after marriage. Because Beyoncé said so Nuff’ said. So that you can treat your man When you can say to your man, “Babe lets go out, my treat”…The only words sweeter to a man’s ear is “the jollof is ready”. So that you can treat yourself Retail therapy is a real thing. No one would argue with you for buying 4 pairs of designer shoes in one shopping trip if you used your own money. Because you don’t want to be stuck like Melania Trump Hopefully the whole world would not be stuck with Trump as the President of the United States. Because men are great…but they are not everything. *Musters up the courage to repeat Rihanna’s words to every aunt who asks when I am getting married.* Because we have every right to dream bigger and aim higher than men. Auntie Chimamanda summed it up nicely. You shouldn’t hold back for fear that you’ll threaten a man. All women should dream bigger and aim higher. So that you can leave when you want to (or need to) Aren’t we all tired of the narrative where a wife stays with an abusive husband because he is her bread and butter and she has no other option? Motherland Moguls can leave when they need to. Because a #MotherlandMogul is her own rich man. Studies have shown that parents will give their children more freedom to be single if their child is financially stable on their own. Ok that study is my own personal wishful thinking. Also if your parent is African, it doesn’t work. Because feeling your self feels better on your own dime I bet you Beyoncé and Nicki did not have that much fun on set because Jay Z and Meek Mill are rich. It’s because they know they will be completely fine without their men. Because a #MotherlandMogul’s best position is CEO *Makes mental note to say this to every guy who asks what my favorite position is*
5 tips to make the most of a slow day at work
When the big conference is over or the quarterly sales report is in, then comes the slow day. Everyone in today’s workplace has moments of downtime every now and then —as you probably do if you’re reading this. But forget #NetflixAndChill, it’s time to #HustleAndChill. Even if you’re excelling at your job, now isn’t the time to rest on your laurels. Use these slow days as opportunities for self-improvement by checking in on your goals rather than your Facebook or Instagram. Here are a few tips for what to do when you find yourself with a few extra hours on your hands: Plan ahead You know how your boss lovingly exclaims, “What would I do without you?” Make sure he or she is prepared for the unexpected sick day or your departure for a new position by drafting a detailed list of your daily, weekly, and monthly activities to ensure that your successor will be well equipped to follow in your footsteps. It’ll also help you avoid forgetting the little things like sending a check for a vendor or drafting invitations to an annual event. It’s never too early to start on hand-over notes —it’s easier to remember what you’re doing while you’re doing it rather than racking your brain as you’re headed out the door. (You’ll also earn brownie points from your boss that will help you maintain a good relationship even after you’re gone). Learn As the saying goes, “good things come to those who hustle.” Got your eye on a raise or promotion? Take this slow period as an opportunity to learn a new skill or hone a weak one. If you increase your value to your company, your employer will be more likely to reward your efforts. Sign up for a webinar, listen to a podcast, or take an online class from sites like Coursera, Skillshare, or edX. Interested in shifting to another role? Visit other departments and learn about their work. Even if your colleagues only need help with menial tasks, they’ll appreciate the favor (and be more likely to return it when you’re in a crunch). Organize To maximize your time when things are busy, set yourself up for success by organizing your paperwork. Organize your online and offline space by saving those client emails that you took hours to draft, filing feedback on projects that you can reference during your next feedback session, and making sure your work space is tidy. A clear space leads to a clear mind. Connect Having a good reputation in your field is part performance, part visibility. According to the Harvard Business Review, “workers are happiest in their jobs when they have friendships with co-workers.” Take advantage of your free time, and follow up with other industry professionals as well as current and former colleagues. It’s an opportunity to build trust and camaraderie at work, but also learn more about what’s going on at your company and in your industry. Grab lunch or coffee or simply spend time acknowledging the contributions of those around you with a handwritten note —old-fashioned gestures are always appreciated. Daydream In today’s competitive global economy, people are being paid more to think than to manufacture. So along with your A-game, it’s time to bring your imagination to work if you’re gunning for that promotion. After all, Archimedes had his “eureka” moment in the bathtub, Newton developed the theory of gravity while lounging in his mother’s garden, and J.K. Rowling came up with Harry Potter while staring out a train window. Now, imagine if those people had been new deep in the drudgery of paperwork or catching up on email. Studies show that daydreaming indicates an active mind more open to creative breakthroughs. Creativity is about thinking outside the box, so put away the phone, turn off the monitor, and let your mind wander. You might just come up with the next game changer.