CTT #136: The Space Between

It’s Tuesday! Grab your cup and let’s start talking.

If we were having coffee together today, I’d tell you that I’m loving this view! I’m on a short retreat for work in St. Michael’s. Every other month, the coordinators come together to make plans and review our activities for the Next Generation Scholars program. Since we all work remotely, it’s a chance to compare notes and make sure we’re all on the same page with the program in our districts. We usually go to the headquarters in Baltimore, but we started a “summer retreat” last year in OC, and chose St. Michael’s as our fun retreat location this year.

If we were having coffee together today, I’d tell you that summer is a time for planning for me! I usually add one or two new workout programs to the mix (stay tuned for Xtreme Hip Hop!), we work on planning our trips (Cali, here we come!), and we review our year activities and data for the program. To keep the grant going, we have to constantly review, tweak, and share stories and data.

If we were having coffee together today, I’d tell you that we’re less than two weeks from our Majestic Mountain Loop trip! We started our National Parks kick in 2014, when we visited Yellowstone and Grand Teton (admissions work travel perks), and it became “our thing” when Johnny chose to propose at Yellowstone. We’ve made it a mission to visit at least one National Park a year, and this year, we’re visiting FOUR. So many of the western National Parks are in close proximity to each other, so it’s easy to visit a lot of them in one trip. We found this “Majestic Mountain Loop challenge” to visit 3 parks in 3-4 days, and we’re all about it. We’re adding a day in San Fran for extra fun on our trip. I love having trips planned!

If we were having coffee together today, I’d want to talk about productivity. I get asked so many times “But, like, how do you fit so much into your day” or “How do you work three jobs and still workout, meal prep, etc.?” I enjoy being productive, and feeling purposeful. It’s a work ethic that has been drilled into me since I was a kid, and something I held onto as an adult. I’ve never been satisfied doing one thing. And, wasting ANYTHING was so frowned upon growing up, and I somehow translated that into “don’t waste time.”

Can I share a secret of productivity? Fill the space between things. I’ll give an example. Let’s say you’re old school and don’t do curbside pick-up for groceries. What is the dreaded activity we have to do in a store? Wait in line. When I have to wait in line, I use that as an opportunity. Most recently, I used time in line to organize and edit videos for the Summer Strong Challenge.

Productivity heightens when you learn how to maximize your time. I listen to podcasts in the car. I’ve learned extreme efficiency when it comes to running errands. I’ll pack my schedule when I’m visiting a certain place. I’ll ask – can I teach a class? Can I book a private group? Can I pick up anything I need? Once you start thinking this way, it becomes easier and more natural. And, more importantly, you get more sh*t done.

Now, if you’re not a planner and less of a high capacity person, all of this may seem like a foreign concept and impossible. My recommendation to anyone – start small. Link two events together, and run through a list of possibilities. Ask “can I run an errand here?” “can I group these two trips together?” – find little ways to build efficiency in your schedule. If you find yourself with down time, take it (if needed), or fill it with a small, mindless task, like cleaning your inbox or organizing photos on your phone. I find that these “in between” tasks help me in the long run, making information easier to find, or taking a mini stressor off my mind.

I’m aware that the “busy” culture exists within my generation, so I’d push anyone to be mindful when it comes to productivity. Choose tasks that work toward a goal, which is the distinction between busy and productive. Again, start small. What’s one task you can complete in the space between two activities or events?