It's only natural to feel like you can take a break from putting out fires all day. But if you find yourself with pockets of downtime, don't slack off. Don't use the slower days of summer as an excuse to kill time. Boost productivity by diving into assignments that require clear- headed concentration. When the crunch of work subsides, you may surf the Web or flip through paperwork without thinking if these tasks produce a big payoff.
People are usually so busy that they lose sight of the big picture.
Clear out the dead wood, including inactive material and e-mail you don't need. You may want to pick 10 clients and ask them for feedback on your products or services. Or call a series of vendors or suppliers and price- shop. Whenever you leave the office, bring along reading matter or other portable work. Keep a briefcase of business-related reading near the exit of your office, so you won't forget to grab it as you head out the door.