When I engage with clients I've learned that they find themselves in either one of two situations. In many cases, organizations are cutting back yet; the workload hasn't been reduced -- instead, it has increased. Or, they find themselves in a situation where business is a bit slow and they have more time on their hands. Either way, I think that they are fortunate.

So how is having more to do an opportunity? This is a great time to become disciplined on a key tip for improving productivity – prioritize. Never before has this been more important. Identify your top 2 tasks everyday and challenge yourself to question all other activities. Is the incoming e-mail, telephone call, or interruption more important that the top two? If so, set your priorities aside and deal with them. If not, deal with those intrusions once you have completed the 2 priorities—and be strongly committed to giving most of your attention to the priorities. Stop leaving the office at the end of the day complaining that you never got to your top priorities.

For those of you who are finding things a bit calm, now is the time to dig into your "someday" or "I should have done this sooner" or "I need to get this in place" list. Build those policies, procedures, and infrastructure items. Set yourself up for when the economy rebounds so that you can take advantage of it. Take all of the things that you've been "meaning to get to" and drill through them. Take advantage of this time to learn new things – read new books, attend free webinars and teleseminars, participate in professional organization meetings. Get new ideas and implement them. Stage yourself and your business for the future.

Whatever your situation is, take care of yourself:

• Take a break – You brain and body need an opportunity to recharge, much like your cell phone does. Stop eating lunch at your desk, take a walk outside for 10 or 15 minutes, if the weather is miserable, a couple laps around your floor might do the trick.
  
• Have some fun – make time to do the things that you enjoy. Whether it’s fishing, cooking, crafting, or volunteering, doing non-work related activities will actually make you more productive at work.
  
• Eat right, exercise, and get enough sleep – sage advice for all of us. By ensuring these three things are in balance, we will be able to think better, be sharper, and more productive at work.

Create a balance between work and personal life. With balance comes stability.

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