Accomplish a lot while you wait!
Even with our instant news, instant photos, instant everything society, we still have to wait a lot and we don’t appreciate it. We get antsy when we have to kill time in the checkout line at the grocery store, so they created jiffy lines to speed us along. We get cranky and horny (over use of the horn) waiting for traffic to budge during commute times and we sure don’t like waiting for our computers to download, upload, reboot and defrag.
My husband’s business is all about waiting. His company creates on-hold music and messages for busy businesses that have to put customers on hold while they hook them up with the department or person the customer needs. I do the female voice on these messages and it’s fun to think I can entertain those who have to wait for whom they really want to speak with.
“Thank you for calling Flackmeiszer’s Vacuum Repair and Sales. We’re sorry to have to put you on hold, but one of the Flackmeizers will be with you in just a moment. While you wait, I’d like to tell you about our fantastic new vacuum cleaner, the Dust Bunny Buster by Electrosucks. This amazing machine is so powerful it’ll suck the grout right out of your tile floor if you’re not careful! The Dust Bunny Buster. Not recommended for families with small pets.”
Hurry up and wait...Last month I was “on hold” with the IRS for more than half an hour. Even though I was irked having to wait for a real person to talk to there, I really did enjoy the music they played to sooth me while I waited to give away my money. As I hummed to a nice rendition of Clair de Lune I wondered if the person who was going to take my money would make more of it than I did after he or she was finished with me. (In the end my wait was in vain. I had to go on-line to take care of that.) However I got so much accomplished because I’m prepared for waits.
Let’s face it, we all have to wait. It’s just part of life. I have a bag of BUTs (Back Up Tasks) in my office and I have an identical mobile BUT Bag in the car ready to take into waiting rooms at the doctor, dentist, CPA, attorney and such. I wait a lot in the kitchen, but there’s always a million things to do while the water boils or the bacon fries but a BUT Bag would just get in my way. Here’s what’s in my BUT Bags.
1. Small note pad and pen for writing down brilliant ideas Nelly (my inner child) or I come up with
2. Needle and thread (white, black and beige), scissors and items to mend or hand stitch as they present themselves
3. Thank You Notes
4. Inspirational book
5. Manicure kit
6. Dental floss
7. Magnifying mirror and tweezers
When you’re occupied doing other than just sitting, drumming your fingers or reading last year’s magazines, time goes faster and you can accomplish so much in the name of waiting. As far as waiting in line, at the grocery store or the movies, it’s probably not a good idea to be flossing or plucking, but texting certainly is in vogue, so why not include a cell phone in your BUT Bag?
