How you choose to use your free time can make a significant difference in your productivity all week. Here are some expert tips to make your entire week more worthwhile.
Schedule nothing
“Use that buffer time to think big, catch up on the latest industry news, get out from under that pile of unread emails or just take a walk,” Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, told CNBC. “Whatever you do, just make sure you make that time for yourself — every day and in a systematic way — and don’t leave unscheduled moments to chance. The buffer is the best investment you can make in yourself and the single most important productivity tool I use.”
Work out
You may think that eliminating exercise might give your tight schedule a little breathing room, but successful leaders from Virgin Group founder Richard Branson to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg note that you have a lot more energy when you’re fit.
Use a bullet journal
Calling “bullet journaling” a secret weapon to success, creator Ryder Carroll describes it as an analog system to track the past, organize the present and plan for the future using blank pages, colorful inks and sketches rather than a preprinted agenda.
“Bullet journaling helps you declutter your mind in a very meaningful, consistent way,” Carroll told CNBC. “I feel like that’s something we could all use a little bit more.”
Declutter your email
Cut down on future clutter by writing fewer emails and keeping those short and snappy, workplace expert Leah Stringer told CNBC. “If it’s an open-ended question, an in-depth question or a complex question that requires back and forth banter, it’s probably worth a phone call,” says Stringer. “You think it’s faster communicating over email but it can actually be a time suck.”
For more tips, please read CNBC’s “5 Ways to Use Your Time Off Like Experts Do to Prep for a Productive Week.”