Time. It passes so quickly that people often find it hard to catch up with it, unless of course, there would be that deliberate initiative to manage it. Time can either work for you or against you. While managing it is considered by many to be a “soft skill”, no one can deny the fact that it can spell the difference in terms of productivity for the day.

One of the challenges in time management is interruption. It’s those times when you were so focused on doing what you have set to do when an unexpected visitor comes knocking on your door. Some interruptions are good but there is that one kind that totally gets you off track and you lose all momentum to continue the work you’re doing.

What does one do? Identify who they are. Is it your spouse? Your boss? They could be poor managers of their time too or simply wanting to get a quick reply each time. Be assertive in setting your boundaries but do it in a graceful way. You certainly don’t want to hurt their feelings or make them feel that you’re taking them for granted. However, you need to be firm in setting those boundaries in order to focus on what you have set to do at that time.

How about good interruptions? The kind that shakes you off from a system or a way of doing things and yet, in the end, it makes the work you are doing a lot easier – making you a more efficient and productive kind of worker. Some of those good interruptions may be in the form of systematizing, streamlining or even scaling to unleash you or your team’s full potential. Are you ready to confront bad interruptions and embrace the good ones?