Maximizing Tiny Pockets of Time

The glowing numbers on the oven timer tell me I have four minutes until my burger is done.(Yes, I cook my burgers in the oven, and they come out so much better than in the frying pan alone. 😋)Four minutes. What can I do in four minutes?I head down the hallway towards my office to check my business emails. Halfway there, something makes me pause.A little voice inside asks me, “Do you really need to check them right now?” I hesitate, torn between familiar routine and the allure of something different.This thought feels foreign. I don’t normally consider it, especially after spending years trying to pack as much movement — and what I thought was productivity — into every minute of every day. I used to lay awake at night, moving time blocks of all sizes around in my head like Tetris pieces, trying to figure out how I could squeeze a few more things into my already-jam-packed schedule.

(I’m dating myself here with the computer game reference.)Anyways, I became a self-proclaimed expert at seeing what I could do in tiny windows of spare time. Heating something up in the microwave for one minute? I can wash a lot of dishes in 60 seconds. Brewing a pot of coffee? That’s the perfect time for a workout. (I’m still a believer in this one, so I’m keeping it.)But I’ve discovered that striving to be efficient only takes me so far before I crash and burn, physically and mentally. Constantly running from one thing to the next is addicting in its own way and offers an illusion of productivity, but it stresses my mind because there is no chance to transition or rejuvenate.

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