What Distracts You?

Distractions and interruptions can take up a large part of our day and come from many different directions.

• Email interrupts us constantly from the moment we open our computers to the moment we shut them down.

• Phones can interrupt us throughout the day and they're hard to ignore when they do.

• People interrupt us who have their own agendas, deadlines and priorities and don't think about the affect of their interruption.

• The internet can be a great source of distraction. It's too easy to go off at a tangent with so much information available at the click of a mouse.

• Meetings distract us from our work, especially when they're not run efficiently.

• Distractions around you cause you to lose focus - sounds, sights, boredom, stress, too much on your plate.
  

Even though an interruption may only last a few seconds or minutes it still takes a few minutes to get back to the task in hand. That's if you haven't been dragged off onto something new or end up with even more to do

If you get interrupted several times a day even for just a few minutes each time, you could be losing 1-2 hours each day.

Make a note of all the interruptions you receive in the next week. Where do they come from? Does one person or thing interrupt you more than others?

Take steps to reduce those interruptions and take back control of your time.