We all have those days that show up, sometimes out of nowhere, when all of a sudden we're all caught up on everything [or maybe just everything important] and we're wondering what to do with the time on our hands. Let me tell you, January has not had a single day like that for me, but it sure has gotten me fantasizing about what I could do if I did have some time on my hands! And if I ever get through the big and urgent projects that seem to be cropping up every day, I will!
1. Make the world a prettier place. Or at least, the office.
Today may be a good day to take a stroll around the office and just check out the way things look. Is there a counter that the cleaners aren't dusting for some reason? Maybe there's an odd-looking corner that you'll notice would look awesome with a plant (or something) in it. There could be a random stack of empty boxes that can be put away or recycled. Perhaps the paint is faded across from the window, or some clown has been putting his footprint on the wall, and it's time to call in the contractor to touch up the paint. I work in an old building, with a lot of creative people, so there is always something interesting to find! I imagine it is similar most places there are people.
2. Cut back on work you'll have to do in the future. Specifically, mail you have to sort.
If mail is one of the things you manage, updating mailing lists is a great use of time (though not always exciting, unfortunately). Put a box in the mail area, and whenever someone gets mail from a mailing list they don't need to be on, have them toss it in the box. Then, when you're bored, contact the companies and get everybody off of the mailing lists and address sharing lists. In a few months, there will be a lot less mail! That means less work for everybody, sifting through it all. Plus, it's good for trees. Awesome!
3. Improve filing systems.
Sometimes this is just useful, especially if you've inherited a few different filing systems like I did. My predecessor used a system that seemed pretty normal and intuitive to me (I love the illustrations she made on file folder tabs), with vendor agreements and other key documents filed in chronological order. However the folders were grouped illogically, according to me (not to her, I'm sure!), so I had to move those puppies around so I could find things quicker. My predecessor's predecessor meticulously printed off everything she'd ever need to know and put it in binders in plastic page protectors. It was an amazing, informative system, which was too much information for me to look through most of the time, especially considering it was getting pretty outdated by the time it reached my custody. Plus, I wanted the relevant info combined with my predecessor's files so I all the details I may need to reference would be together. I've made progress on this, but files may be one of those ongoing things that pretty much always go on. Getting them in better order can be a great use of time. (This includes computer files!)
4. Update your job instructions.
Things
can change a lot over a few months! It might be a good time to make
sure you don't have outdated information in your job instructions, and
that anything new you've taken on is duly outlined. Speaking of which...
5. Ask for more responsibility!
Particularly
if you consistently have free time, letting people know you have time
available and would love to work on ____ and/or ____ can be great for
them and for you - now, and potentially down the road as well! win-win.
6. Learn something new.
Hopefully you're
already totally appreciated! You have been working so hard you got everything done and have some
time to spare - nice! However, in this world there is always room for
improvement, which - bonus! - can translate to a better work future. If time allows, you can watch videos on YouTube teaching v-lookup
(this is at the top of my list of things to learn) and other handy
tricks in Excel, PowerPoint, etc. Or, research a field you'd like to
learn more about and possibly grow into down the road. Or, for those of us
working with businesses in complicated, technical fields, learn about
the industry, its trends, what all the words tossed around at company
meetings mean, etc. Probably you can think of other work-related things to study up on or practice.
These are just some ideas! There are pretty much always things to do I've found. If you have any "slow day" administrative initiatives to add, feel free to leave them in the comments!
