One minute, please

To build on yesterday's blog, working without interruption is more than a few rules of thumb such as shutting off the e-mail program a few hours a day.  It is also an attitude, a feeling that you have a right to "get to a good stopping point" before responding to a new request.

There are some people who absolutely refused to be rushed except in an emergency.  They are writing something down, neatly, while you wait in line along with 10 other people.  They might say, "Just a minute, please", but they have no intention of stopping until they are through with the task they are focusing on.

At times, I can get impatient waiting for someone like this to stop and address my needs.  But, at the same time, I respect these people.  They know themselves.  They know that they will be more at peace if they start a task and finish it before attending to the next person in line.  They know that they can only do one thing at a time and will be more productive in the long run if they refuse to be interrupted every few seconds.

I think I need to do more of this myself.  There are too many times that I'm on the phone with one person while typing an instant message to someone else, all the while stressing out over a complex report that I stopped working on when the phone rang and the Instant Message window popped up.  If I was coordinated enough, I think I'd also be texting with my feet!  I'd be better off taking the "one minute, please" attitude.  Focus on one thing at a time, knowing this will make my mind more peaceful and knowing that I'll get more done in the long run.