Maybe it’s happened to you and you thought you were the only one. You’ve planned out your workday in meticulous detail, even down to the quarter hour. Your focus is on maximizing your productivity at work.
Your day is packed. You’ve got big goals and your calendar reflects them.
And then it happens. Your day is derailed because other things come up. Other people’s problems.
These aren’t emergencies but rather little tasks that other people need you to do that you can’t refuse. These can come from your supervisors or your team members.
When this happens, you start to panic because these little distractions are putting you behind on your productivity timeline. There’s no way that you can get everything done.
If this sounds familiar, then you’ve falling into a common productivity trap. It’s like an overpacked suitcase. You filled your day with projects and tasks and left no time for the unexpected.
While I talk a lot to groups about controlling distractions, sometimes you need to bow to the needs of others and help them out.
To avoid getting stressed out when you’re not accomplishing as much as you thought, make sure you leave some breathing room on your schedule. It can be a half hour in the morning and a half hour in the afternoon.
This way, when an unexpected need comes up, you can address it without going into panic.
Another thing to consider is that free time isn’t wasted time. Sometimes we need a few minutes just to think.
Ever go to the store to pick up one item and then find yourself looking for and picking up five more things? Little distractions take more of your time than you expected but sometimes they are necessary.
This can be a big picture issue for the business community. I’ve seen many organizations bemoan the fact that they don’t have any innovative ideas, even though their staff is never given a chance to think. Being busy all the time does not give you the opportunity to dream big.
Give yourself some free time during your day. Make sure your team’s strategic retreat happens this year and is not cancelled due to being too busy.
Your productivity is not a product of a full calendar.
Maybe it’s time to bring Ken Okel to your next meeting…
Read any good books lately?
