Things I can do during lunch

[cojo]

Lunchtime is one of my favorite times to get things done (TM).

However, I recognize that it can also be a time for relaxation, or

There are lots of things I can do during my lunch hour.

- Work through lunch
- Exercise
- Meditate
- Take a nice, leisurely hour to eat my lunch
- Go home and clean or exercise my dogs
- Read through part of a book
- Catch up on my professional networks and correspondence
- GTD review (unless I'm very busy, it normally doesn't take me 2 hours)
- Grocery shopping or other errands

I would love some form of written organization to provide me with options for lunch hour - for example, I like working on my foreign language software, but sometimes forget about it for weeks at a time. If I captured this on a list I might go "hmm, haven't done that in a while."

In theory, I could work through my GTD context lists, but I have the option of doing my @ computer, @ phone, @ desk, or @ errands list, so that's a rather open list - and, as I mentioned, I think it's important to have some unstructured me-building time.

I'm just wondering if anyone else encounters anything like this, and if I do write down a list of things I could do with my lunch hour, where would I put it? Contexts? Agendas?

 

[ArcCaster]

Hi Cojo,

I like to think that lunch time belongs to me and that I am under no obligation to do anything productive in that time period. Often I do, but that is my choice.

So, the context becomes more energy oriented:

Things that give me energy:
lunch with friends
a walk in the sunshine
catching up on fun forums

Things that require a little energy:
lunch with potential clients
a walk in below-freezing weather
catching up on the latest technology for my job

Things that require a lot of energy:
lunch? Work through it and crank out that work!
do your interval training sprinting, walking, sprinting, etc
wading through the list of things you have put off for the last six months

My thought for the morning.
Rob

 

[dschaffner]

I'm just wondering if anyone else encounters anything like this, and if I do write down a list of things I could do with my lunch hour, where would I put it? Contexts? Agendas?

I'm thinking you need a context called @lunch

As long as these are only tasks to be done at lunch, this should work.

Another possibility would be to have a physical folder called @lunch where you would place tasks, or reminders of tasks to look at when you are at lunch.

- Don

 

[BlackBeltProject]

GTD Checklist

I am a big believer in using a GTD Checklist to get these things off of my mind. I like to know what my choices are at any given time. I'd suggest making a lunch review checklist to remind yourself things you like to do at lunch and choose what appeals to you off of that list. Then you wouldn't forget about foreign language study for several months before you remembered again. You can view it as a mental tickler file.

 

[katy]

I am a big believer in using a GTD Checklist to get these things off of my mind.

Same for me. I have a "#today" list which I'm filling in each evening for the next day.

 

[DanGTD]

Lunchtime is one of my favorite times to get things done (TM).

However, I recognize that it can also be a time for relaxation

I think it's best suited as a relaxation time. You'll come refreshed for work.

If you want to code on your foreign language software, probably another time of the day, or night, or weekend, is better. One hour or so is not enough to do something meaningful.

 

[rachel134]

foreign language software

I disagree with DanGTD--There is definitely enough time to work on foreign language software, or writing your novel, or catching up on reading (pleasure or professional) or any of a dozen different things over lunch.

I use Rosetta Stone to study foreign language. It takes me 20-30 minutes to do a lesson, and because of the way they are structured, the principles stick. There is much research that suggests that working on something (writing, learning, whatever) for 15 minutes regularly leads to huge progress. That's because the little bits of work are additive. The important word there is REGULARLY.

Rachel

 

[TesTeq]

What about relaxation time?

I disagree with DanGTD--There is definitely enough time to work on foreign language software, or writing your novel, or catching up on reading (pleasure or professional) or any of a dozen different things over lunch.

You need relaxation time to be productive. So if you are spending your lunch time working (learning foreign language), do you use your work time to relax? ;-)

 

[Oogiem]

You need relaxation time to be productive. So if you are spending your lunch time working (learning foreign language), do you use your work time to relax? ;-)

Well for me there are 2 answers:

1. Do something you love so working isn't onerous. My "work" is 24 hours a day 7 days a week 365 days a year. I live at my job and enjoy it 99% of the time. The other 1% is just part of life IMO.

2. Schedule relaxation after work is done. Or in my case I sometimes schedule relaxing stuff during the day or by season. Winter is a big time for me to do lots of fun stuff because my work schedule is much more relaxed then. But Late April, May and Early June are dawn to dusk work with very few breaks. Heck in May I'm doing well to get meals ready on a regular basis.

 

[TesTeq]

What about sleeping?

1. Do something you love so working isn't onerous. My "work" is 24 hours a day 7 days a week 365 days a year. I live at my job and enjoy it 99% of the time. The other 1% is just part of life IMO.

I can hardly describe the time when I am sleeping the "work time". For me it is definitely the "relax time". I must confess that when I am sleeping I am doing no productive work at all.

 

[Oogiem]

I can hardly describe the time when I am sleeping the "work time". For me it is definitely the "relax time". I must confess that when I am sleeping I am doing no productive work at all.

Well... Since I could be awakened at any moment and have to deal with an emergency even sleeping isn't always relaxing. We've had to get up in the middle of the night. One reason I keep boots by the door.

As to doing productive work, I consider recovery and rest productive because without it I can't function at all. Depends a lot on your definition of work I guess.

 

[Sievert]

what i do

during lunch (i only get 30 minutes) i usually do something from the following list :

eat! (am i the only one to put this down)
listen to podcasts related to work as i find i am reenergised on the subject after.
Listen to some of my favorite music
read a magazine related to my interests.
Take a short walk.
Call my wife or mom.
Crank widgets that i feel just arent getting done.