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Disruptions

Having enough time to work is one thing, but having uninterrupted time is far more important.

Let’s say you have a lot on your woodworking plate, so you’ve planned out your day to maximize simply getting things done. You know which tasks take priority and which ones can wait, and after your morning coffee you’re ready to go. You’re barely into you work when:

• The phone rings and caller ID says it’s a business call you must take.

• Something breaks, or you realize that something requires adjustment, or a blade needs replaced, etc., and you have to stop and address it before you can continue.

• You run out of something, requiring either a supply run or total readjustment of your work plan.

• An outside interruption occurs – a client arrives unexpectedly, FedEx rings the doorbell with something you’ve been waiting for, the police knock on your shop door, or whatever, and you must stop to deal with it.

• The power goes off or, if you’re working online, your connection dies for a short time.

I don’t know about you, but I find it extremely difficult to get back up to speed after an interruption like any of the above or similar. Sometimes the length of time needed to overcome these “Now, where was I?” moments is greater than how long it took to get started in the first place. Sure, you can do what you can to avert the interruptions you can predict (I’m looking at you, Sally…), but for something you can’t predict you’re at the whims of chance.

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