• Sitting on the train, waiting to get to your destination.

• Stuck in traffic, waiting for the congestion to clear.

• Waiting at the doctor’s office, waiting for the mechanic, waiting for the parent-teacher conference to start, waiting for the commercial to be over so you can get back to watching your favorite TV program, waiting to pay at the grocery store…

You can manage your time better by turning your downtime into productive time. For example:

Answer emails on the train.

Tip: If you don’t have a connection to the Internet, then download your emails into an email client like Outlook Express before you get on the train, answer them and put them in your outbox so they go out the next time you connect.

Create your to do lists while waiting for a doctor’s appointment.

Use a voice recorder to create verbal to do lists, get organized or make notes while you’re stuck in traffic. You can also catch up on your “reading” by listening to iPod books or books on CDs.

Pay bills online or create your shopping list during commercial breaks while you’re watching TV.

Return short phone calls while walking between a parking lot and your office or store.

Bottom line: If you have (involuntary) downtime, you probably can fit a small task into that timeslot.