With 2012 being a leap year, tomorrow is 29th February. No news there. But if you think about it, tomorrow is a sort of ‘bonus’ day, one that we wouldn’t usually get. I call it a ‘duck realignment day’, because it gives us a chance to get all of our ducks back in a row. So why not make the most of this windfall and take a bit of time out to do something that you’ve been meaning to do for ages, but haven’t yet got around to? Here are three suggestions.
1. Sort out your email inbox. If you’re anything like me, you have several hundred emails sitting in your inbox, waiting for you to do something about them, even if it’s just file them away somewhere. Take an hour to go through them, replying to those that need a response, filing the ones that you want to keep and deleting the ones that are no longer relevant. A completely clear inbox is perfectly feasible – and I know, because I had one once… And it does wonders for your stress levels.
2. Learn something new. We all know that the world doesn’t stand still and that the things we learned yesterday won’t necessarily be the things we need to know tomorrow. When we speak with colleagues or read the trade press, we frequently (or, at least, I do) come across new terms and ideas that we know we should recognise, but don’t. So take a topic that you’ve come across recently and spend an hour reading up on it. And have a cup of tea, while you’re at it.
3. Talk to someone you wouldn’t usually talk to. We all speak to lots of people each day, but how often do we talk to someone we haven’t talked to before? Why not find someone in a different part of your organisation and ask them about what they do? Or go to a place or an event that you wouldn’t usually go to and chat with some of the people there? I find that some of the best (and most worthwhile) discussions I have are with people from very different backgrounds, with whom I wouldn’t usually come into contact. So get out and make a new friend.