Tweed Jacket – J. Crew (on sale!)
I love the section on productivity in Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, the founders of 37signals. They emphasize the importance of getting into the “alone zone”, where maximum productivity occurs, and gives the best analogy for focus I’ve ever come across:
It’s like REM sleep: You don’t just go directly into REM sleep. You go to sleep first and then make your way to REM. Any interruptions force you to start over. And just as REM is when the real sleep magic happens, the alone zone is where the real productivity magic happens.
A friend of mine works for an engineering firm with an in-house manufacturing department that implemented “quiet time”, an interruption-free period every day during which manufacturing could not contact engineering except in the event of an emergency. My friend, who arrives at work at 6am everyday just to get some work done without interruptions, loved it. Unfortunately for him (and for productivity), manufacturing did not like the new rule and they went back to the way things were. While interruptions by other people are certainly a hindrance to our ability to get work done, I think the real enemy can be ourselves.
How do you stay focused and productive at work? Do you find it hard to enter the “REM zone” of productivity? I’d love to hear your experiences.
Lately my work days have been so busy, I have no choice but to be productive! Interruptions definitely kill productivity but are unavoidable. 😛 But ultimately, when it comes to work/business, being busy is always a good thing! PS- I love your tweed jacket!!!
It’s the same for me. I’m very productive when I’m busy, but when I’m not, the few tasks I have stretch to fill the time.
Your voice is heard……….sorry for the interruption………..A better way I am thinking is to write it down and set a timer…haha……..
You’re never an interruption! Yes, a timer is a great idea. Set it for 15 minutes and during that time you can only do one thing – no web browsing, no texting, just that one thing.