The worst thing you can do when you aren’t sure what to do is stand around and do nothing. Standing around doesn’t help anyone.
Putting in a solid day’s work, where you are engaged in activities, will leave you more energized than a day sitting around doing nothing. You also aren’t contributing anything to your organization by killing time and waiting for something to do.
Growing up, I would help my dad on some of his construction projects. My dad would give me some tasks, usually hauling supplies, and then send me to get started.
Sometimes I would finish tasks quickly and not know what to do next. Other times I would start a job but get stuck and be unable to complete it. In both scenarios, I’d end up standing around, twiddling my thumbs. Doing nothing won’t help you get a job done.
After standing around for a while, I learned that I could ask one of the experienced carpenters for help if I was stuck or for additional tasks. Over time I was able to identify problems and opportunities for more work. For example, when I finished a task early, I would look for messes, grab a broom, and clean up the job site. Organizing things improved safety, gave the job site a clean and professional look, and saved the carpenters time finding tools and materials so they could do their jobs faster.
There is always something to do on a job site if you look around and think about what will help accomplish the overall goal, even if the specific task is outside your normal responsibilities. The same thinking applies beyond construction as well. Don’t just wait for things to happen; use the time you have to contribute and find ways to make a difference.
Dead Time vs. Alive Time
According to author Robert Greene, there are two types of time: dead time and alive time. Dead time is when you are passive, sitting around and waiting for things to happen. Alive time is when you take control of your time and use it to learn and grow, making the most of every second.1
Feeling bored or stuck is not an excuse to kill time. Never wish time away while you wait for the future. There is always something you can do to make good use of your time. Choosing alive time is about choosing to be present and live in the moment. You won’t get anywhere waiting for life to happen to you.2
You can’t get time back once it’s gone. So why waste it? In life and work, choosing dead time is choosing stagnation. However, you can choose growth instead. As Robert Greene wrote:
“If you’re just letting the time pass at your job, it’s just dead time and you’ll never get it back. If at that job you’re learning and you’re observing and you’re seeing about people and connections, it’s suddenly alive time.”
You have limited time. Would you rather spend it living in the present moment, doing more of what you want to do, making the most of your situation, or letting it go to waste?
Choosing Alive Time
Choosing alive time can be a challenge. It is easy to sit around and kill time because you don’t have to do anything.
Being aware that there are better ways to spend your time is one thing, but knowing what those things are is another matter. Learning how you can take initiative will help you whenever you get stuck and are unsure what to do.
The specific activities you come up with will differ by the situation, but you can apply the following ideas in any context. Learning how to make the most of your time is a process that evolves as you become more competent. The more you grow and develop, the better you will be at choosing meaningful and impactful activities.
Ask for suggestions – If you are new to a job or are simply stuck when trying to figure out what to do, you can always ask for guidance. There is nothing wrong with asking for help when you need it. When you ask someone with experience for suggestions on what to do, you’ll likely get various answers that you might’ve not even considered.
You might not like what they have to offer, but remember, you asked for their help. Be open-minded and think through why the person you asked for help recommended what they did. Try to understand why the suggested activity is essential. This understanding can give you insight into what others deem as important and broaden your perspective.
Search for problems – Looking for problems to solve is another way to find things you could work on. However, problems are not always easy to spot. When you are working to identify problems, it is helpful to consider what goals you are striving towards. Problems are barriers that inhibit your ability to achieve your goals. Once you find a good problem, you can use it to direct your time and work.
The key to problem searching is to cultivate your curiosity and observational skills. Be on the lookout for inefficiencies, barriers, or things that don’t make sense. When searching for problems, one thing you can do is keep a record of problems you’ve identified. Since you can’t tackle every problem at once, this will help you focus on the most critical activities. This record is also helpful for when you find yourself wondering what to work on again. Finally, keeping a problem list saves you time from having to search for problems all over again.
Create your own work – When you begin to create your own work, you shift from follower to leader. Taking the initiative and coming up with your own challenges demonstrates an ownership mindset. Instead of relying on others to always give you things you do, you take matters into your own hands, deliberately seeking out opportunities.
Creating challenges for yourself often begins as a question. For instance, when you don’t know how to do something, you have to start with a question and then conduct research and seek out information to solve it, thus creating work for yourself.
As a finance analyst at work, I wanted to know what differentiated the best analysts from average analysts. So I began interviewing managers to learn what characteristics and behaviors the best analysts exemplified. This question turned into a development project that I was able to share back with the broader organization. This project helped gives employees a framework for growth, and it was incorporated into the organization’s learning and development platform.
Time is limited. Would you rather spend it being present and engaged or mindlessly standing around? Of course, there is nothing wrong with killing time now and then, but if you want to feel more fulfilled by how you spend your time, I’d encourage you to choose alive time.
Be curious. Take initiative. Be engaged. Solve problems. Value time.
Footnotes
- Robert Greene shared his concept of alive time vs. dead time with Ryan Holiday. I discovered this idea while reading Ryan Holiday’s blog on the topic.
- While talking with a senior co-worker, I once said I wished for a challenging project to be over, and he immediately replied, “Never wish time away.” It stuck with me and made me realize I was often just waiting for the next thing. Like waiting for a movie sequel to come out – If all I did was focus my attention on it not being out yet, I would miss out on everything happening in the present.