Computer In The Shop? What Do You Do Now?

By Janice D. Byer
Posted Tuesday, December 28, 2004

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.