Interruptions are just a fact of the world in which we live. Very often someone else's business or concerns cannot wait until we are done and ready for them. Add to that are the interruptions by those who do not know we're busy and things that are not purposely meant to interrupt us at all. The ringing phone, a knock at the door, a growling stomach - all these interruptions must be accommodated.
But far too often there are interruptions that we allow to happen and to pull us away from our work or task at hand. And we may use that interruption as an excuse to put off what we were doing.
How do you stop interruptions? How can you get things done uninterrupted without being rude or neglecting other responsibilities and people as well? Consider a few quick points.
LIST YOUR INTERRUPTIONS
What are common interruptions for you? There are some that are too trivial to list; a ringing phone, a knock at the door, and things like these are often too numerous to actually put on a list. But the reason you want to think about your common interruptions is that very often people allow certain interruptions to happen time and again. There are some which you can control and address, and some which are just inevitable. If you think about what you allow to interrupt you consistently, you can then face and address these effectively.
Ask yourself if any of these situations are common interruptions for you:
§ Children who want attention.
§ Computer games, browsing the internet.
§ Friends and family that call on the phone to chat.
§ A growling stomach.
§ The urge to start a different project or take care of something other than the task at hand.
§ Television programs.
§ One's own boredom.
Think for a moment about how these types of interruptions disrupt your train of thought and distract you from working effectively. Now think about how none of them are really important enough to be allowed to interrupt you! Often children interrupt when it's not necessary, or we eat out of boredom rather than because we're really hungry.
Consider carefully the things you consistently allow to interrupt your own work. Think of how many are unnecessary as well! So how to address these?
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