Are you usually able to complete your tasks as planned? Do you procrastinate? How long can you normally stay fully focused on one thing? How often are you interrupted or distracted per hour? The term "time management" is misleading, as we cannot manage time itself. But the time available should be used optimally.
We are not really "there" half the time!
In our executive training courses, we explain to participants right at the start how they can bring themselves back to the present moment when they notice that they are drifting off. It is completely normal for people to drift off mentally and occupy themselves with thoughts that are completely different from what they should or actually want to be thinking about.
We believe we can control our minds. In reality, however, up to 50 percent of our waking hours are spent doing whatever it wants. What has been known in Buddhism for centuries as the "monkey mind" is referred to in modern Western research as "mind wandering."
After an average of eleven minutes, there is an interruption.
The German Stress Report published by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health concluded back in 2012 that around 44 percent of respondents frequently had to interrupt their work. In an older but still valid study, employees were filmed at their workplaces. It turned out that they were interrupted on average after eleven minutes: the phone rang, someone knocked on the door, or an important email popped up.
However, closer analysis revealed that half of the interruptions were self-generated. So even when no one is disturbing you and you could work in peace, you interrupt yourself and do something else.
Specialists explain that the brain learns extremely quickly and adapts to its environment. The experience of being interrupted after eleven minutes leads to an internal prediction. This ensures that the expected occurs—if not through an external interruption, then through an internal one. We are greedy for small pieces of news that immediately reward us with a release of dopamine in the brain. Our greed for entertainment and variety undermines our mental autonomy and causes us to constantly chase after unnecessary news and experiences.
Modern media tempt us to constantly give in to our curiosity. That's why we allow ourselves to be notified when someone has shared something with us (and many others). This creates a vicious circle. We feel bad when we can't concentrate and therefore achieve little. We need to quickly replace this feeling with a new distraction. As soon as you go online—even for a moment—your attention is gone and you have to rebuild your concentration.
Anyone can improve their ability to concentrate
We often interrupt ourselves to avoid unpleasant tasks. Then we look for an opportunity to do something else first. Just to feel better in the short term. Unfortunately, not all issues can be resolved by sitting them out. So it would be better to stick with the task at hand than to put it off. This is something that can be learned.
Attention works like a muscle. We can train it. The best proven way to do this is through meditation. It increases mental autonomy by making us aware of what is happening and helping us to recognize our distraction mechanisms. Even without meditation, it is possible to increase your ability to concentrate. But you have to practice in any case. In addition, concentration wanes over time because we get tired. That's why regular breaks and periods of regeneration should be planned. You will find specific tips on this in the article Concentration and Attention.
You can avoid many disruptions and distractions
We are not solely responsible for how undisturbed we can work. Often, supervisors, colleagues, or customers want something from us precisely when we need to be fully concentrated. Not all disturbances can be avoided. However, it is possible to minimize them. To do this, agreements must be made.
Ask your colleagues how long it takes them to fully concentrate on something. The answer will vary from person to person, but on average it will take several minutes. So what happens when we interrupt each other every ten minutes or so? How well can we use our working time? What results are likely to be achieved? How can this be improved? Try out different changes:
- Agree on times for concentrated work or times when you can be disturbed ("office hours").
- Set up offices or rooms where people can concentrate in peace (e.g., quiet areas/think tanks).
- Close office doors or, in large offices, agree on a signal that indicates the current status (e.g., red side of a small sign = do not disturb; green side = ready to talk). However, this only works if the signal is used reliably.
In any case, all parties involved should be made aware of the issue and be able to contribute suggestions on how to avoid unnecessary and inappropriate disruptions. Only when the rules of conduct have been accepted by everyone can it be assumed that they will be observed. In addition, the team could agree on how to deal with rule violations. This can Obligation the Obligation .
Procrastination (putting things off) – later is still early enough!
Extreme procrastination is a work disorder characterized by unnecessary postponement of starting work or very frequent interruptions to work. This problematic postponement is called procrastination (Latin procrastinare "to postpone"; composed of pro "for" and cras "tomorrow").
As the saying goes, "Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today!" There are various reasons why this is often easier said than done. Some people need the pressure of a deadline and therefore put off tasks until the last possible moment. Others don't dare to tackle the work because they fear failure and therefore prefer to do simple tasks such as cleaning or tidying up. In certain cases, procrastination can be a symptom of a mental disorder.
Connection between concentration and procrastination
When procrastinating, every interruption offers an opportunity to put something off even longer. At least you have a reason for doing so. Avoiding interruptions therefore also helps to reduce procrastination. There are several ways to minimize procrastination (see also Concentration and Attention). In addition, you should analyze the situations in which difficulties arise most frequently. Then you can find strategies to avoid them. Often, simply being aware of the problem (conscious incompetence) helps. Then it is possible to find and practice successful approaches through trial and error. The following methods are often useful:
- Giving meaning and strengthening self-confidence (see "control buttons")
- Increasing commitment by agreeing on "rewards" or "consequences"
- Starting on time (setting and monitoring a fixed time for yourself or others)
- Realistic planning with appropriate sub-goals and feedback upon completion
- Working time restrictions due to time constraints (the specified time window is only extended if it is used efficiently)
Tasks of the leader
leader be role models on the one hand and, on the other hand, fulfill the tasks described in the Leading Simple© management system with the appropriate tools. This ensures that the conditions for sufficient concentration are in place and that unacceptable deviations (including procrastination) are identified at an early stage.
If you would like to learn more about this topic, we recommend the literature or seminars listed on our website.
Image source: Luke Brugger on Unsplash
