System Admin Time Management: Stay Focus, Handle Interruptions

Why is interruption the most significant enemy of productivity?

Total time used = time delayed + time wasted
Time wasted = resuming time for context switch + recovering from mistakes

What is the best friend of productivity?

Focus.

How to focus?

1. An entry-level work we can do is to ==de-clutter our brain== by recording unrelated ideas at somewhere outside of the brain. Use our task tracker extensively.

2. Be aware of our stress and sleep level. If we are tired or under much pressure, sleep well and multitask less.

3. Creating an un-distracting environment.

   1. Clean up the desktop. “When in doubt, throw it out.”
   2. Close IMs, notifications, etc.
   3. Leverage the time when other people are not present. ==The first-hour rule== is that the first hour of the workday is usually the quietest hour in an office. Same for amusement park time management - show up early, you practically have the entire park to yourself.

4. Deal with interruptions effectively.

   1. Make it transparent who is responsible for what. (Though most organizations do not.)
   2. Setup a multi-tier support system.
      1. self-resolve with documents or self-serving portal
      2. let the mutual shield take it
      3. delegate it
      4. record it
      5. do it (save your current work before switching to another task)

Having difficulty falling asleep?

Keep a pad of paper and a pen next to your bed. ==When something is keeping you awake, write it down and try falling asleep again==. Worry keeps us awake because we’re trying to remember to do something about what’s worrying us. Anger keeps us awake because we’re trying to remember to stay angry!

==Staying focus and not being rude==

1. when new requests are coming in, always ==acknowledge== them first to make people feel responsive.
2. when acknowledging a request, do it in a visually meaningful way. Make sure they see I am recording it and confirming it.