4 Strategies to Get Past Planned Interruptions

We are used to thinking of interruptions as unexpected things. But interruptions can be planned, and these are just as disruptive as the other type.

There have been days when I have been anticipating something that is on the schedule: a meeting, an errand, or even just quitting time. And every time that I start anticipating what is coming, I find that my productivity for the here-and-now is shattered. Why? Because I tell myself that I can’t get anything done in the time left to me.

Planned Interruptions

Planned interruptions are those items that are on our calendars that can interrupt our flow.

It might be a meeting with the team where you will present your ideas. It might be a lunch meeting with a client. It might be the 3:30 slump where you are just not motivated to get anything else done that day.

All of these items are planned – and they are interruptions because they take away from our unstructured flow time to get things done.

Why Planned Interruptions Derail Us

The reason these end up being interruptions is because our brains move forward from the present moment into the future. We anticipate what is coming.

Our brains, perceiving that this time is not unlimited, then begins to limit what it thinks it can do.

If you have ever thought to yourself, “there isn’t enough time to work on [insert project]” you have been a victim of the planned interruption.

So how can we get past this?

Ways To Be Productive

There are four strategies that I use daily to get past planned interruptions.

Have A List Of Small Tasks

There is always more to be done. Start a list of small, unimportant tasks that can be done as filler. You might not be able to work on the sales forecast in the 15 minutes before the next meeting, but you can clean out your email inbox, or purge a file folder.

Break A Bigger Task Down

If you can break something down into smaller tasks, you might be able to get one of those done in the time you have. You might not be able to complete the sales forecast, but you could research one of the numbers you had a question about.

Use A Timer To Get Started

A good trick to getting past your brain thinking that small chunks of time aren’t worth anything is to use a timer. Have 20 minutes until the meeting? Set a timer for 15 (give yourself 5 minute to regroup before the meeting) and work on your project. You might be very surprised as to what you will get done!

Set An Alarm

If you find yourself not starting something because you are afraid you will lose track of time, set an alarm. Get to work, and when the alarm goes off, move to the anticipated task. Always make sure to jot down where you are in the task so you can come right back to it.

Conclusion

It’s possible to derail our productivity by anticipating what is coming. But with a few tricks in our bag, like having a list of tasks, breaking things down and using a timer or alarm, we can get past this tendency.

Over To You

Do you have a favorite method I didn’t mention? Leave a comment.

Image by jlz. Licensed under Creative Commons. Text added.