We Interrupt This Program...

11.02.2008

About a month ago, during an especially harried time for me at work, I kept track of how often I was interrupted during one whole work day.

It averaged out to about once every eight minutes... about seven times per hour.

Then consider the other 11 hours when I'm "working at home": kids, cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, answering the phone, digging my way through all the paper from school....

I would imagine my rate of interruption is higher, but let's just stick with once every eight minutes.

So, in the (approx.) 17 hours that I am awake each day, I am interrupted 119 times.

119 times... per day!

when I am doing something and stop to do something else.

when I am thinking about one thing and have to think about something else.

when I am one place and have to hurry to another place.

when I am right brained and have to be left brained.

No wonder I forget my grocery list, return movies late, put in two different earrings, and have a hard time focusing on a good book.

Oh!

My eight minutes are up....

...gotta go!

12 comments:

Tonja :

It's a wonder any of us have a brain left in our heads what with everybody and his brother needing snatches of our time! Great post!

Boo and Hooties Mom :

I can completely relate to this!!!!!!!

Susan :

Oh Jill, this is SO TRUE!! I even had to ask for a different place to work this year because now my job includes test coordinator and data analysis. I couldn't do it in the place where people were coming and going all day long.

Hope you're doing OK.

:-) Susan

justabeachkat :

Yep, totally true!!!!!!!!!!!

Hugs!
Kat

Nadine :

No kidding. It's a miracle you remember to do anything. How can one person be expected to finish a thought with being interrupted so often.

SouthernAccent :

It's what makes a good mom great! :-) Multitasking and staying focused at the same time, wow - a huge accomplishment!

Susan :

Your posts are always so clever.
Susan

Jillian :

Frustrating! Oh wait hold on, my phone is ringing...hold that thought...

:-)

Jillian

Pink in a sea of blue :

I can totally relate, too. And what is with the millions of school papers we have to go through? It's Monday. I'll see paper overload in a couple of hours!

The 5 Bickies :

What a fascinating study! I hate being interrupted and am all day long!

Sonya :

Bah! I feel your pain. This is why I have such a hard time! Thanks for enlightening me!

Mad About Plaid Girl :

I end up walking into a room and wonder why I am there b/c I've already forgotten why b/c my kid is yelling or my dog is shedding on my mopped floor, or the phone rings!!!

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