Managing “distractions”
Posted on: May 20, 2012
Sometimes I am asked how I manage to read so many tweets, RSS feeds, and reflect daily while working. Sometimes that question is phrased more directly as: How do you deal with so many distractions?
I do not view what others might consider “not work” as a distraction. I make it part of my work. If I read, tweet, or blog, the activity is about some aspect of educational technology.
When people ask me about how I maintain my work-life balance, I tell them that I work and play all the time, at the same time. I manage “distraction” by having a different mindset.
But mindset shifts might not be easy or tangible. So here is some practical advice: Manage your own schedule and do it as well as you can.
As an appointment holder, I might be tempted to let a secretary or personal assistant manage my schedule. No matter how busy my day gets, I do not let that happen.
If anyone needs to make an appointment with me, they need only refer to my shared online calendar. I manage my own appointments on the move a lot so that I can give people immediate answers. By doing this, I am not only aware of what I have committed to, but I also remain committed to it.
I am also a stickler for punctuality and keeping to time. Nothing is a greater distraction than events that start late or run long. People get really distracted then and no real work gets done.
Running a meeting long is like a lecture. Only the lecturer thinks the audience is learning when the reality is they are not.
I write this on a Sunday when conventional wisdom says that I should be resting or spending time with my family. But my family members are still asleep as I write. This blog entry is on a release schedule and by the time you read this, I am at play.
So much for distraction.
