Computer In The Shop? What Do You Do Now?

Have you ever had one of those days when you just feel like something is missing? ? something just doesn't feel right? like you should be doing something but you can't remember what?

Well, I had one of those days recently? my computer was in the shop for a minor repair. Ahhhhh! What was I going to do?

Ok, so I planned to take my computer in for the repair. Then I would go shopping for my daughter's birthday present and have lunch with my husband. But, that still left half a day. No problem. That was taken care of as my phone continued to ring even without my computer there. But, the whole time I felt like something was missing.

Why are we so dependent on our computers? Why do our routines feel completely out of whack if we don't have our trusty keyboard and mouse?

In today's high tech society, a computer is a common site in most homes and nearly all businesses. Everyone and his brother has access to these electronic lifelines and most depend on them to help run their lives smoothly.

For any entrepreneur who relies on the virtual work for business, when our computers are unavailable, we can be at a loss as to what we can do. So, the following is just a few ideas of what we can do during the time that you would normally be on your computer.

1. Get out of your office!

And, if your office is in the house, get out of the house. Take advantage of the time to separate yourself from your work. It may be hard to leave work behind but, for entrepreneurs who generally are dealing with all the aspects of keeping a business running smoothly, a few hours away from the office can help recharge the batteries.

2. Run some errands.

Not only will this help by getting you out of your office but you can get some of those odd jobs done that have been sitting on the back burner.

3. Spend some quality time with your family.

Now is the time to get out with your partner and/or kids, if they are not at work or at school. Go for a walk or bike ride; have a swim; or make a picnic. Relax & enjoy the company of your loved ones.

4. Clean up your office.

Now is the perfect time to organize all the piles of paper on your desk and file them away. You never know what you will find under there and how great it will be to see the nice wood that your desk is made of again.

5. Write an article.

Wild guess when I wrote this article? You guessed it? I sat in my comfortable rocking chair, watched my daughter play, and jotted down my thoughts.

6. Catch up on phone calls.

You know all those quotations that you have been sending out? Now is the time to follow-up on them. Or, have you been wanting to contact someone just because? Without the distraction of your "you have mail" dinger going off, make that call.

7. Give your home a little spring clean.

Those dust bunnies have been around long enough. It's time to send them packing. Cleaning cannot only separate you from your daily work routine, the end result is great! Until the kids get back home.

8. Do something nice for yourself.

Have a long soak in the tub but keep that phone away from the edge of the tub. This may be hard to do because we always want to be there for our clients if they call. But you deserve a break every once in a while to help recharge your batteries.

These are just a few ideas to help you stay productive, in one form or another, while you are without your computer.

But, one thing to remember if you are going to be unavailable for any length of time? advise your clients and contacts of your down time. Send an email to all of them advising them that you will be out of the office or just without a computer for a few days. This way, should they happen to send an email to you for whatever reason, they will know why you didn't respond to them right away.

About The Author

Janice Byer is a certified Master Virtual Assistant and owner of Docu-Type Administrative & Web Design Services (http://www.docutype.net). See this and other articles on her website.

jbyer@docutype.net

---

Creativity and Broken Eggs

In 1420, the dignitaries of Florence held a competition.They offered the enormous prize of 200 gold florins to the architect whose genius could span the unfinished dome... Read More

Sing & Be Well

When people find out that I'm a music therapist, the comments I hear most often are "I wish I could sing!" or "Oh, I love to sing,... Read More

Improve Your Bottom Line, Kens Idea Saved over $100,000

Engaged employees can show us the way to continuously improve. Customers want our products and services to be better, delivered faster, and produced less expensively. This means... Read More

12 Ways To Boost Your Creativity At Work

As workplaces continue to rightsize and downsize, we all find ourselves doing more with less. How do we stay ahead of the workload while staying sane? The... Read More

Creating Success

All things begin in consciousness.Consciousness originates everything that is manifest. Universal consciousness makes manifest the entire universe and subsides within its' creation. You and your individual consciousness... Read More

Three Ways Journaling Can Boost Your Creativity and Your Business

I have a friend who has struggled with her creativity for a long time. She's extremely uncomfortable thinking of herself as "creative." We've been working together on... Read More

How Logic Puzzles Can Help You Become a Better Problem Solver

I have to admit that I am a confirmed puzzle-head. I love crosswords, acrostics, and cryptograms. But I am becoming ever more intrigued by logic problems. For... Read More

The Art of Keeping a Journal

Journal keeping is basically without rules. It is an uncensored invitation to cut & paste, sketch & chart, and to visualize and unravel every great and small... Read More

What is Creativity?

Here in England September represents the end of Summer and the beginning of Autumn as well as the start of the new school year and the start... Read More

Tapping into Your Super Creative Power

Do you consider yourself creative? How about super creative? Most people may not think of themselves as creative, but I believe that everyone has the potential for... Read More

Find the Artist Within

Can anyone be an artist? People admiring my work often say, "I could never do that!" I say, "Yes, you can!" Eight years ago, during... Read More

Break An Egg For Creativity

In 1420, the dignitaries of Florence held a competition.They offered the enormous prize of 200 gold florins to the architect whose genius could span the unfinished dome... Read More

Telling It Like It Is (Or Can Be)

When you hear, "tell me a story," does your mind suddenly go blank? Don't panic. The good news is, you're already a natural storyteller! Surprised? You shouldn't... Read More

Mindfulness and Poetry: Delicious Word Awareness

Everyone's a poet.Of course, everyone's a critic, too! This means that there are plenty of opportunities to heighten our awareness of words and how we use them.Words... Read More

Overcoming Artists Block (part 2)

Once you are ready to start working again you will know it instinctively. All artists go through periods of 'creative block' - it's normal, but after one... Read More

Taking it Step by Step: Combining Intuition, Spiritual Purpose, and Creativity

Something I have always found helpful is taking affirmative action where the universe and my path in life are concerned. Many years ago when I first read... Read More

9 Steps to Supercharge Your Productivity with Creativity

Time is the great equalizer. Everybody has the exact same number of hours in each day. For most people, the hours available are usually less than the... Read More

Attraction: What We Attract With Our Creative Choices

I used to be a jazz singer. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, they were wonderful and I strived to sing like they did. But no one impressed me... Read More

Riches Through Creative Thinking!

When solving problems after you have exhausted the normal means of coming up with the solution, think in terms of unorthodox methods. Vary your thinking and try... Read More

Mindfulness and Teaching: Lessons From Dynamic English

Back in 1983, I was hired to teach English in rural northern Japan. I had no experience teaching, and didn't speak a work of Japanese.No matter-I had... Read More

A New Discovery Of An Old Secret

Some years ago, when the world seemed to close in on me and I felt as though I was trapped between the sword and the wall, I... Read More

The Elements of Creativity: Attributes Listing Method

Attribute listing is one of the best ways to generate ideas, whereby there any many parts to the problem/ challenge faced. If you are asked to generate... Read More

Becoming More Creative -- What We Can Learn From Disney

When you think about the legacies Walt Disney left us, do talking mice and a multigizillion dollar company come to mind? Actually, those are only the products... Read More

Learn A Life Skill TODAY!

Did you ever watch your grandma knitting?Wasn't it boring? Didn't it seem to take forever?Most of us live life in the fast lane.Who needs to buy balls... Read More

3 Simple Steps To Solving Problems

You can move beyond your stuck states by contemplating all the possible consequences of your own particular situation.What is it that you want to work in your... Read More

Tips on Breaking the Creative Block

There's no question that creating anything is hard to do. Here are some tips if you find yourself creatively blocked.Set a GoalSet a goal for yourself. For... Read More