Curiosity is Your Nemesis When Trying to Save Time

Time is one of the most valuable commodities in our lives. It’s also the same for everyone. Even a billionaire only gets 24 hours in a day.  

We all have little things we do that wastes time. Some of those are curiosity-based and often the most challenging to ignore.  Therefore, it’s critical to know how you are using your time and to form habits that will help you limit the amount of wasted time.  Then, you can make room for what’s most important.

I don’t think I have to tell you that technology is not your friend when it comes to managing your time.  That is if you don’t take control of when and how you use it. Even when you commit to limiting your wasted time on sites, emails, texts, and apps, it’s likely that curiosity becomes your downfall: Do I have a text message? I wonder if I have any new email. How many visitors have been to my website in the last hour? The list goes on. Unfortunately, frequently indulging your curiosity can have adverse effects.

Consider the following:

1.  How much time is it really? A mere 10 minutes each day, 5 days a week, is equivalent to a 40-hour workweek each year. An entire week. Can’t get your reports done on time? Now you know part of the reason why. Lost time adds up. 

Try using an app to measure how much time you are spending on different areas of technology.  I use Toggl (https://toggl.com/login/), but take a look at Zapier’s article The 10 Best Time Tracker Apps in 2019 for additional options.

2.  Loss of momentum is a real problem for me.  I take a “quick peek” at a new email or text and before I know it twenty or more minutes have gone by.   Pulling away from your regular work to check your email costs you more time than just what you use to pull up your email account and read. You still have to get back on track when you’re finished with the email.

Why?  You may lose your train of thought, lose your place in the memo you were reading, or misplace something. Even worse, you may forget what you were doing in the first place. You know what happens next. You respond to that email or text, and then you have to keep checking back to see what their response is. It never ends.

What’s the answer?

1. Remember that it can wait. Most people can get away with checking their personal email once a day. Texting is the same way, believe it or not. These types of distractions are seldom critical; if someone’s message does happen to be critical, they’ll find a way to get through to you.  However, you have to be disciplined. Silence those nasty notifications, put your phone on “do not disturb” or airplane mode. Then get down to business.

2.  Schedule it. Set aside a specific time to check on all of those little distractions. Perhaps you might choose to only deal with email at the end of the workday or only text for 10 minutes before bed.

Too funny – I have to share . . . I just left working on this blog to respond to an email that popped up.   I struggle just like you. That’s why forming the habit and being diligent is essential. It’s too easy to fall off the “turnip truck.”  

So, whatever you’re perpetually curious about, set aside time each day to address it. To maximize your efficiency, all you have to do is stick to the schedule.

3.  Inform people. If everyone knows that you only look at emails between 4:45 pm and 5:00 pm, they’ll call you if they need to communicate something vital. If it’s not really important, they might not send the email at all.

4.  Set boundaries. In my early years as an Executive Director, I was having trouble with staff interruptions.  I believed I needed to be accessible to staff at all times – often called “the open door policy.”  However, it became a problem when employees were lined up and waiting to talk to me before I got my coat off.  Frustrated and stressed, I shared my dilemma with my very wise Board. They suggested I do two things:

1.  Set aside time each day when I couldn’t be disturbed unless it was an emergency.
2.  Ask my capable directors to put non-emergent concerns on our one-to-one meetings.

I was amazed at what I got accomplished.  Soon it became an agency practice. Also, the directors dealt with many concerns themselves without my involvement.  I realized I was enabling my team to pass on problems and decisions they were capable of resolving to me. Maybe, it will save time for you as well.  

When you have “quiet time” set aside you’ll also find that people won’t bother you with text messages, phone calls, and other interruptions.   With less stuff to distract you, you’ll be able to better focus on your work.

Take back control of your time. You’ll be glad you did!