How To Be a Winning Worker Even After You Cross The Finish Line

It’s an exciting moment: you’ve crossed the finish line, completed every task on your to do list. Congrats! But there’s still more time left in your work day. What are you to do? Don’t panic! We’ve got the answers for you. Today we’ll be talking about ways to maximize your downtime.

First of all, take a moment to breathe. And pat yourself on the back, figuratively or literally–we won’t judge! While you might be tempted to then grab your phone and start scrolling through Instagram, your employer unfortunately won’t appreciate you keeping tabs on the world at large while on the clock. Instead, take this time to expand your horizons within your work environment. Start by viewing moments of downtime as opportunities for personal development, learning how to make yourself the best employee for that particular environment–a skill you can take with you to future roles. Want to know a great way to do that? Demonstrate taking initiative. Stretch yourself! Was there a project you passed on because you weren’t quite sure how to do it? Ask your boss if it still needs to be done–since your overall workflow is slower, you’ll have more time to figure out the best way to complete the job.

Pro tip: Make sure you’re not trying to change how a company does something before knowing how the organization works or WHY they might do something a specific way. Proposing different solutions too early could backfire and annoy your employer. While you’re still new in your position, you can use the time to learn more about who you’re working for. Instead of offering advice too soon, you can instead use this time to compose an email to your boss letting them know you’re ready and willing to take on new responsibilities.

If you’ve done all of the above and still find yourself in need of things to do with your downtime that don’t involve social media, check out these other quick and easy ways to make the most out of slower moments at work:

• Don’t just stretch your mind. Stretch your body! Moving around will get your oxygen flowing while also reducing fatigue and improving your posture.
• Organize your working space or desk. This will let you better get to know your environment while also allowing you to complete tasks more quickly and easily.
• Get to know your colleagues. But be careful! This is NOT the time to gossip. Instead, use this chance to find out more about how your co-workers’ roles contribute to the overall organization. This provides you with an opportunity to learn more about positions you might want to fill in the future in addition to better understanding how your efforts fit into the big picture.

This posting is brought to you by Contemporaries Inc., one of the best temp agencies in Boston MA. Also available for payrolling employees in Boston and Greater Boston