Availability is Not Value

I’ve noticed three common time leaks in overwhelmed people’s weeks.

Here's the first one:

Equating availability with value.

Believing this leads you to allow all kinds of interruptions.

You actually invite them in because you think you're being helpful. Reliable. Responsible.

"Got a minute?"

"Quick question."

"Can I pick your brain?"

You say yes because:

You want to be seen as a team player

You don't want to seem difficult

It really will only take a minute... right?

Nope.

Here's what actually happens:

That "quick question" derails your focus for the next 23 minutes (on average).

You lose your train of thought.

You have to rebuild momentum.

And by the time you're back in flow? Another interruption.

The math speaks volumes:

5 "quick questions" a day = 2+ hours of lost deep work.

Not because of the questions themselves.

Because of the recovery time your brain needs after each one.

Most people think the solution is "do not disturb" mode or blocking their calendar.

But those only work if you can actually hold the boundary when someone asks anyway.

And they will.