Sep 11
7
time management’s distractions
Distractions are all around us. A flickering neon ceiling light above your cubicle, an overly talkative neighbor, loud music–the list goes on. How we deal with them determines their effect on time management. Lets’s examine how we might tackle time management’s distractions.
The blame game
Your first reaction might be to blame the distraction on someone or some thing. This serves no purpose. To blame a ceiling light for not getting that report done before your meeting is merely pointing out some other weakness that you need to address.
Justification
To ignore a distraction or worse, to attempt to justify it in a positive spin, is compounding the problem. If you justify your neighbor’s constant chatter in the next cubicle by saying something like, “I should listen to him because I might just learn something,” you are only denying the problem.
Complaining
Complaining about a distraction is the worse thing you can do. Negativity is your enemy no matter how it manifests itself in your arsenal to confront everyday life. As soon as a complaint enters your mind smack it down. Replace the negative thought with, What do I have to do to remove the distraction? In the case of the flickering ceiling light, a quick call to maintenance will solve the problem. You should talk directly to your neighbor about his constant chattering. Be diplomatic but let him know that it is an issue with you. If that doesn’t work request to be moved.
Sometimes the distractions in the workplace are so great that it is necessary to get away from it all. No, I’m not talking about a vacation. Find a quiet, serene place that you can escape to during lunch or on breaks. Use this time to organize your thoughts and avoid time management’s distractions.
