By Dana Phillips.
Interruptions come at you from all directions; they come from many different people and literally all your devices all day long. Studies show that for every interruption you have, you need 15 minutes to recover and refocus. It’s a wonder you get anything done, isn’t it?
So what do you do to keep interruptions to a minimum? Here are some tips to consider.
- Respect yourself and value your time. You can let someone else use your time, or you can choose to use it yourself to do the important things to you.
- Plan your work and make a “to-do” list each day. Look at the items on your list, decide how much time you’ll spend on each one, and block that time on your calendar. Isn’t it true that if it’s on the calendar, it will get done? When you set time blocks to focus on the most important things, you are less likely to allow interruptions.
- Avoid temptation. Don’t answer the phone, texts, or allow anyone to interrupt you during the time you’ve blocked to make calls, plan your meeting, etc. Stay focused! Be sure to block time in your calendar to return calls, texts, answer emails and look at Facebook.
- Communicate your work plan to others. Let your team members know when your office hours are and that you’ll be available to help them during those times. Schedule 1-1 appointments with the leaders and future leaders you are working to promote to the next level in their career plan. When working in a time block, explain to your family what you are doing. Share with them why you don’t want to be interrupted unless it’s an emergency. Show your kids when you’ve blocked family time so you can spend uninterrupted time together.
Here’s one last thought. Make sure that you are respecting other people’s time. Turn off your phone when you have one-to-one appointments or talking to another person (including your family) and focus on the other person. By really listening without interrupting, you show that you value them and what they have to say. In the end, you’ll find that you’ll have their respect and will be able to get your work done with less stress. ENJOY your journey to having more peace of mind!
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