Help! Someone Interrupts Me Every 10 Minutes!

Someone Interrupts Me Every 10 Minutes!???????????????????????????????????? How do I find uninterrupted time to get my work done? Book Undisturbed Focus Time (UFT).

The Problem:?

Ever feel like you can't seem to get your task list done because there's a never-ending flow of interruptions and distractions? Unscheduled walk-ins by co-workers, random phone calls, and, of course, multiple devices buzzing, ringing and vibrating with incoming messages of all kinds creating chaos. Sound familiar??

Well, you're not alone. We've all been there. It steals our productivity. Even worse, it drives us crazy and stresses us out. The Answer: Undisturbed Focus Time (UFT).

Why Do We Need Undisturbed Focus Time?

We all need a bit of "Me Time". UFT can let us catch-up in a focussed, efficient and effective way. It can also allow us to allow us to have the space and time to be creative or simply chill and recharge.

This is a good way to boost your productivity and create more sustainable performance. If we do it consistently, and book it daily and purposefully in our calendars, it becomes a good habit, for us, and eventually, our co-workers.

But if we don't help people understand when our UFT is, why it's necessary, and what the value would be, then it's not gonna happen.

What Results Can I Get?

For starters, you get regular quality time for you. And that' solid gold. Time to work in a focussed, undisturbed way gives you the opportunity to get more shit done faster. Added bonus: it's most likely going to be at significantly higher quality because of that uninterrupted focus.?

Colleagues and counterparts know when you are and aren't available. So everyone is a bit more satisfied and better prepared. It's like going to the supermarket: you go during their?opening hours. If you know when they are, you can better plan for that trip, as can the supermarket.

Bottom line: more productivity and less stress and pressure for everyone involved.

How Do I Do It?

First, determine when your two personal best UFTs should be. This will depend on your job, curent tasks and obligations, so plan accordingly. It also means there will probably be some input from your team, boss and other stakeholders, so do some research beforehand.?

Start with your team. Explain the benefits of UFT and invite your team to do the same. Then inform your stakeholders when you are available for them...and also when you're not.

Book it in your public calendar. Your UFTs are your "Opening Hours", and when you're closed, you're closed. (Yes, you can make exceptions for emergencies and other one-off situations.)

Try it out for a couple of weeks.?Experiment a bit and align with the flow and demands of your situation and colleagues. Work out the bugs, fine-tune, and then roll it out to your boss and/or other teams. Repeat and scale as you go.

For most people, it takes a bit of trial, error and coordination, but these guys will tell you it's generally well worth it. The regular UFT is a gift and often a game-changer.

Give It A Go...

First Musings from "The Farm & Boz Career Accelerator Handbook". ????????????????? By John Farmer & Dan Boswell. Coming in 2023