Studies
show that when you are interrupted, it takes 20 minutes to regain the level of
concentration you had reached before the disruption. Furthermore, in nearly 50
percent of the cases, a person never even returns to the original task. Track
yourself for a week or two. Understand your own proclivity to be railroaded by
someone who bursts into your office begging for help or that tendency to reach
for the phone every time it rings. Each time you are interrupted, note the
time, who it was, what they needed from you, and how long it took. Then, grade
the importance and urgency of the interruption: A = critical and urgent; B =
important but not urgent; C = unnecessary and not worth the time. At the end of
the week, study your log to determine....
Do you control “nibblers” or do “nibblers” nab you?
Nibblers are distractions that sabotage your plans, gnaw at
your ability to concentrate, and steal hours every day. There are “internal”
nibblers, personal dispositions or behavior tendencies such as perfectionism
and procrastination, which prevent you from completing your plans. There are
also “external” nibblers, interruptions like meetings, calls, e-mails or
drop-by visits that can easily derail your day.
Take a close look at these common nibblers. Which ones most
frequently derail your best-laid plans?...
How productive did you feel last week? If you got less done than you'd hoped....what kept you from staying on task? For many people, a constant stream of interruptions is the biggest hurdle to productivity. So, here's some advice for preventing unneccessary interruptions from taking more than their fair share of your upcoming week.....
