15 Things to Do While Your Computer Boots

If you’re work computer is anything like mine, then you have to wait at least 5 to 10 minutes for your machine to boot up each day.  As a comedian, I’ve learned to take advantage of every small break in the day to get stuff done (usually working on some stand-up or doing a quick improv exercise).

Rather than get annoyed at this delay in the early morning, I embrace it. This is 10 minutes I have at work to be email/computer free. So here’s 15 things you can do while your computer is starting up:

1. Eat breakfast.
2. Go to the bathroom and wash your hands.
3. Learn something new about one of your co-workers.
4. Play sudoku or work on a crossword puzzle (print one out the day before).
5. Skim through a newspaper or read a magazine article.
6. Get in a quick nap.
7. Meditate.
8. Write a first draft of a blog post on paper.
9. Organize your day in your head.
10. Warm up your brain with “thumbs” and other improv exercises.
11. Stretch.
12. Listen to your voicemail or change it to be more effective.
13. Go for a walk around the building.
14. Organize your desk.
15. Put post-its on a co-workers cube.

Guess which one I did this morning (and unfortunately it was not #15).  Have your own computer boot-up routine?  Share it in the comments.