Spring Forward: What to with an Extra Hour
March 9, 2009 by Phil Gerbyshak
Filed under Business
Today’s the day that folks in most of the US “spring forward” and get an hour less sleep – and hopefully an hour MORE daylight in their day. I could sure use more daylight. The coldness of winter definitely depresses me.
Now that I get an hour more of daylight, I’ll get an hour more of productive time in my day. Getting up at 6 AM doesn’t feel quite as bad knowing there’ll be some sunshine sometime in the day.
What’s a manager to do with an extra hour of productivity?
LOTS of things!
5 things to do with an extra hour of productivity
Say good morning to your customers – Let your customers know they matter by calling them and letting them know how you can help them.
Manage by walking around – Take a few minutes and walk around your team to find out how they are REALLY doing.
Write thank you notes – Set the timer, and challenge yourself to see how many thank you notes you can write in an hour (then keep the habit up once a week for the rest of the year). Thank your team, your peers, your manager, your customers, and your FAMILY.
Be fully present – Instead of feeling like you HAVE to multi-task, use the extra productive hour to tune OUT all the distractions and be fully present for your direct reports or your manager.
Learn something new – You’re never too old to learn something new. Now that you have an extra productive hour, how about listening to some 5-10 minute management tips, or pick up a new book, or find a mentor.
What are YOU going to do with your extra hour?
I know that it’s not interesting or terribly sexy, but I’d sleep in.
Sometimes it’s nice to grab an extra hour of sleep and not feel guilty about the things that I should have been doing. It’s a small picture thing that I can do that will make me better able to tackle all the big picture things in my life.