How to multi-task like a boss with the new ŠKODA Fabia.
I like the idea of multitasking, but for me it’s often less productive trying to do too many things at once when it comes to running a business. Instead I prioritise the most important tasks in my day and allocate blocks of time to complete them one by one. That said, there are times in my day that I like to call ‘unnecessary time gaps’ (UTGs), often caused by travel. Recently I got my hands of the new ŠKODA Fabia for a few days. I took this baby for a spin to check out their new SmartLink technology. I was told it was perfect for keeping connected on the road. It sounded like a good way to combat those annoying UTG’s ‘unnecessary time gaps’ in my day.
Ways I Combat UTG’s
- I’ve recently started to do walking meetings. When someone in my team says, “can we have a quick meeting about…” I say, “yep, let’s walk”. It might just be up the road to the shops to grab a juice or around the block but it’s a great way to not only stretch your legs but to also get in some cheeky exercise (so I can consume more burgers and red wine)!
- I listen to podcasts while I ride my bike to work. I put my headphones in with the volume not too loud and listen to short podcasts or Ted Talks. It’s a great feeling to have learnt something new for the day before you’ve even sat down at your desk to start work.
- I travel to and from Melbourne a lot for Secret Foodies events. Sometimes I love zoning out and watching TV shows like Modern Family. When I’m flying during the day though I hate being disconnected from my team and clients. It’s so frustrating to go offline even for an hour when I’m really busy. So usually I spend that hour writing stories for eatdrinkplay.com or drafting emails ready to send when I land.
- If I’m heading somewhere in a taxi or Uber I use that time to check my social media accounts and respond to my followers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I make sure to pop my head up every few minutes just to make sure my driver is on the right track.
ŠKODA Fabia
The ŠKODA Fabia is zippy, powerful and easy to drive around the city. But for me it’s all about the SmartLink technology. This was the first time I’d driven a car with this functionality and without sounded too cheesy, it really did keep me connected!
Check out the video from my adventure:
6 Things I Love About SmartLink Technology in the Skoda Fabia
- The “Hey Siri” function is the best. You can switch this on in the settings of your iPhone. Then once you’ve connected your phone to the car with your regular charging cable you just say “Hey Siri…” followed by your request and it happens without you taking your hands off the steering wheel.
- I can say “Hey Siri take me to the nearest café” and it will automatically bring up Maps on the screen in front of me. Siri will then start telling me how to get there.
- While I’m doing that I can also send a message to my friends. I’m planning a trip away for New Years Eve with some friends and there are a million text messages going back and forth. I’m usually too busy during the day to respond. In the new ŠKODA, Siri reads out the text messages and then asks if you want to reply. I can dictate the message and she’ll send it off. It’s a great use of UTG and surprisingly she nailed it every time I tried this feature without any awkward misspellings.
- The SmartLink Technology syncs with Spotify so I can say “Hey Siri play Shoop by Salt N Pepper” and it’ll start playing. It’s great for working on my mad rap skills. (For my ultimate driving playlist click here)
- I can also make calls on the go. So when I’m walking out of the office on my way to a site inspection for example I can email a client or caterer and tell them I’ll call them on my way to discuss a menu. This is super handy and means I don’t have any UGT’s on the way to inspections or meetings.
- I can also bring up podcasts on the SmartLink technology which is really great for road trips.
Now some people will read all of this and argue you need downtime, and I totally agree. Whilst I hate UTG’s in my day I definitely believe in order to be successful in business, relationships and life in general you need downtime.
4 Of My Favourite Down Time Activities
- I love sleep. I’ve been nicknamed koala by many friends in the past and make sure I get at least 8 hours for my mind to switch off.
- When I exercise I’m totally in the zone. I go to Flow Athletic in Paddington and love their Strength classes. 45mins of cross fit style work out and the only thing on my mind is thinking about is getting through the next set. I love it. In summer I surf as often as I can to clear my mind.
- Colouring in. This is a new pastime of mine. I recently discovered “colour therapy” as it’s known (which is grown up for colouring-in books). I can spend hours shading in pictures of frogs and dragonflies with nothing else on my mind but staying in the lines. Brilliant!
- Being girlie. When I sit in that chair at the hairdressers or nail salon I am 100% in the chill zone. Bring on the trashy mags and the vibrating chair. Pure bliss.
So, how about you? What hacks to you have when it comes to running a business or winning at life?
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT MY ULTIMATE SPOTIFY PLAYLIST FOR DRIVING:
*The post was brought to you by the new ŠKODA Fabia