Distraction(s)

You hear it every single day. Those things that will distract you from the thing you set out to do. For example, when I am at work I sit at my desk in an open space with many other people around. Nothing wrong with that I can hear you say, it makes you feel more involved and you can actually see your colleagues. I would have to agree.

Then again, there are moments where working in this open space is driving me up the wall. In the corner of my eye I can see one of my colleagues as he gets ready to pick up a phone and call one of our customers. I know how this is going to go and I can already feel the distraction coming.

Not 30 seconds later, my colleague is indeed making a call and here comes the distraction. Seriously, there is nothing wrong with making a phonecall, but the amount of times he can put "uhhm" in one sentence is mind boggling. Every single thing he says gets accompanied by at least 10 "uhhm" noises. No matter how hard I try, I can't concentrate from such a moment on.

Finally he hangs up the phone and I am happy to know I can continue on with doing what I am paid to do, when two of my colleagues, straight in front of me, obviousy don't agree on some matter. The argument between the two plays out straight in front of my nose and I can't help but take notice and follow the argument, there we go, another distraction. I tell them to please take that argument elsewhere so I can continue working, and in the end they do. Another dangerous moment of major distraction twarted.

After say half an hour I am back in my zone, I am working well and am making good progress. But as usual, not for long. Behind me, two colleagues are getting into an in-depth conversation about a project they are working on. Not behind me as in far behind me, no, right behind my back.

Good thing about all this, when I am writing something, nothing distracts me from it. When I do my every day job, all these things do. Why can't people see that distraction is sometimes right around the corner, or even in front of your nose.