It struck me today how we
rarely set aside time for reflection.
We move from one situation
to another (often not completely leaving one before beginning the next!), we’re
constantly interrupted (there’s no escaping technology), and we receive
historically unprecedented amounts of information.
With so many things vying
for our attention, nothing gets the attention it deserves. Treading water has become our normal state of
existence.
With every day it becomes
harder to explore, learn and change because all of those activities require
thoughtful reflection and commitment.
There’s no easy antidote
for this. It requires discipline.
Think about your
goals. Where are you going? Are your actions moving you closer to your objective?
Think about how you
interact with others. Is it
effective? What could you do better?
Decide where you might
need to concentrate your attention. Make
it your goal to devote uninterrupted time to that quest this week.
But then, make it your
habit to reflect on this every week.
The building won’t burn down and you might just find that you’re making better decisions and ultimately saving time!
Technorati tags: Business, Reflection, Change Management
Note: Tom Friedman wrote about The Age of Interruption in the New York Times this past week (subscription required). He quoted former Microsoft executive Linda Stone who labeled this condition “continuous partial attention”.
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