Interstitial time activity

"Take inspiration from knitters, Mann suggests. Knitting fulfills the three criteria for a good interstitial-time activity - it's portable, it can be done amid distractions, and even a few seconds spent on it contributes to the end result. (That's not the case with tasks requiring 'set-up', such as waiting forever while Windows boots up on your laptop.) Identify in advance which of your tasks fits the knitting criteria: those involving reading and (hand)writing are a good place to start. Or take up knitting."

Oliver Burkeman, This column will change your life, The Guardian Weekend, 6.9.2008, p.77