Sometimes interruptions keep me from doing important work. It’s frustrating to me when I know what I am doing is important, I want to do it, I enjoy doing it, I can see the reward for getting the work done, but for some reason I keep getting interrupted. When I really need to get something done is when I am most likely to get interrupted. I get a phone call, someone stops by to see me, I become aware of some important news, and emergency happens that I must attend to.
I’ve come to think of these interruptions as tests. These tests are to see if I am truly committed to completing the task at hand. These tests are the greatest opportunity for me to give up what I was doing before I was interrupted.
Critical point
After the interruption, when I am able to resume what I was working on, is a critical decision point. This is when it is critical to push to resume the activity. It is easy to make excuses and create false reward to jump to something less/un-productive.
“The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it”
- Chinese Proverb
Wasting time
Spending time (or wasting time) doing what I should not be doing has a way of being easy to do. For some reason I am less likely to be interrupted. I don’t get interruptions when I waste time. It’s as if nothing stands in my way of wasting time.
I’ve come to think of the lack of interruption as a test. The test is to see if I am able to choose the right thing and redirect my attention to being productive. Throughout the day I will check myself in the following ways.
- Pay attention to what I am doing. When I am interrupted, what am I working on before being interrupted is probably pretty important.
- If I know what I am working on is important, I get back to the important things as quickly as possible. The quicker I get back, the easier it is to stay productive.
- If what I am doing is un-interrupted for extended periods of time, I watch out. I may need to make a conscious effort to find something more important to do.
“The average American worker has fifty interruptions a day, of which seventy percent have nothing to do with work.”
- W. Edwards Deming
Am I the only person who has this experience?
Are you ever interrupted when you are working on something really important?
Ah yes, the distractors. You’re correct in thinking it’s a test for your resolve. It’s also a test for saying ‘no’ and maintaining your schedule. I tend to close my browser and turn off my cellphone so I can concentrate. Does it always work? Not always, but it helps to carve out time.
Very good advice to manage your distractions. Thanks for your comment.
Fantastic post, Christopher! I loved this paragraph:
“Spending time (or wasting time) doing what I should not be doing has a way of being easy to do. For some reason I am less likely to be interrupted. I don’t get interruptions when I waste time. It’s as if nothing stands in my way of wasting time.”
That’s great insight. I’m going to keep my eyes open for interruptions in the future knowing that if they come my way, I’m likely in the midst of doing something really important and need to stay focused!