- By now, you likely know that I'm a huge fan of having focus, which is vital to staying on the task at hand and not allowing interruptions to get in your way. The more we can minimize interruptions, the more productive you'll be. But what if you're the one doing the interrupting? What if it's not just phone calls or someone knocking on your door, but you're in the middle of an important project and an idea pops into your head, something completely unrelated to the task at hand? Some people are afraid that they're going to lose that idea, so they immediately act on completing that idea, switching away from the project at hand.
The problem with this is you're going to pay a lot of switching cost, lost time, and momentum. You're going to have to stop, transition mentally to whatever this new idea is, complete it, and then transition mentally back to the task you were completing previously. This little interruption could cost you 10 to 20 additional minutes of switching costs if you allow it. I recommend that you be prepared for these kinds of situations. Your tool, have a gathering point on hand at all times.
A gathering point is a place where you send incomplete ideas. For example, Microsoft OneNote is a great place to capture those ideas. Evernote is another commonly used tool. Create a section or notebook folder in your favorite note taking app and call it Inbox. Then, for every unresolved task that comes to mind, add a new note in that section. For example, if I'm in the middle of one project and a task pops into my mind, let's say I need to buy an anniversary gift for my wife.
Rather than stopping the task at hand and buying that gift, I would quickly switch over to OneNote, create a note, and type in quickly, buy anniversary gift for my wife. And then close OneNote. How do I know that I'm going to take action on what I just wrote? Because every week, I have regularly scheduled recurring processing time. I recommend, in my Time Management Fundamentals course, that the average person has about five hours a week of processing.
This is usually enough to get through all of your unprocessed items including notes like this. When that processing time arrives. In my case, let's say it arrives on Friday, I'll see that note and then take action on it at that time. Or if it's going to take longer than 15 minutes, schedule time in my calendar to complete the task. In this way, the ideas that pop into my head have a minimal disruption to my productivity when I'm trying to be focused.
Yet, I know that I'm never going to lose a wonderful, important idea.
Author
Updated
4/15/2019Released
4/11/2016Productivity expert Dave Crenshaw provides techniques on a wide variety of topics, designed to help people better manage their time and ultimately become more productive. Tune in to learn about everything from managing emails and calendars to setting priorities, collaborating with coworkers, reducing interruptions, crafting a "productivity mindset," and creating a more comfortable and effective work environment.
Have an idea for a future video from Dave? Submit it using our course feedback form. If you want more time management strategies now, we recommend watching Dave's Time Management Fundamentals course.
- Reducing interruptions
- Dealing with feeling overwhelmed
- Responding to quick questions
- Making the most of meetings
- Following up
- Implementing a closed door, open calendar policy
Skill Level Intermediate
Duration
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Introduction
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Welcome43s
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1. Time Management Tips
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Power tips for sending email3m 14s
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Positive procrastination3m 15s
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Remove the "busy" tag2m 58s
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Manage digital interruptions4m 19s
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Make the most of meetings2m 52s
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Follow up on delegated items2m 58s
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Become tech savvy4m 33s
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Focus on the person2m 37s
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Time management for students2m 59s
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Ending meetings with action1m 44s
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Building a not-to-do list2m 46s
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Avoiding the crowd mindset2m 58s
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Placing a value on your time3m 30s
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How to schedule a meeting3m 35s
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How to develop flexibility4m 19s
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The trouble with texting3m 48s
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Create a perhaps list4m 58s
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Reduce attention switches4m 46s
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Adapt your favorite app4m 33s
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Make time to get more time3m 49s
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Read vs. unread email3m 52s
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Make time to have fun3m 57s
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Create a morning ritual3m 23s
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When to create new homes3m 26s
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How to reduce spam3m 48s
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Why repetition saves time2m 48s
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Productive passwords2m 3s
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Productive web browser tips1m 51s
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Writing a productive email1m 55s
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Commit to your calendar1m 54s
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What to say instead of ASAP1m 46s
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Set voicemail expectations1m 43s
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Set email expectations1m 46s
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How to use an inbox1m 41s
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How to use an outbox1m 53s
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Video: How to handle interruptive ideas