I was listening to an interview this week with Jon Acuff and Michael Hyat, two of my favorite writers, when Jon made an amazing statement. He said one of his goals as a dad was to have a schedule in which he was interruptible for his family. That is to say, he could put aside what he was doing whenever one of his daughters or his wife would interrupt him. He wants to give them his undivided attention whenever they need him.
Now Jon Acuff is a writer, so he works mostly from home, except when he travels to speak. Most people have a set work schedule that may not allow them the same luxury. But here are three ways that we can all be more interruptable.
1. Put the phone away. This probably goes without saying, but I think most of us (including me) have a problem with this one. Whether it be because of work, social media, emails, etc, most of us look at our phones more often than we think. It is so easy to take a quick look while someone is talking or continue doing what we were doing on our phone when someone interrupts us and pretend that we are listening. The fact is, we are only half listening, so we are only hearing half of what is being said. But the worse thing is that we miss an opportunity to show the person in front of us how much we care about what they have to say.
2. Hold on to chores loosely. Let’s face it. Chores are never ending. No sooner have you washed the dishes, and more appear seemingly out of nowhere! And while I don’t suggest we just abandon our home and never clean it, it’s important to remember that relationships are more important. So, as hard as it is, the next time your child says, “Mom, can we go to the park?” imagine their face when you drop what you’re doing and take them to the park!
3. Don’t pack your day. Whether you are married, have kids or are single, don’t pack your day with so many tasks that when someone you love suggests you go for coffee or a movie, you don’t have space for it on your schedule. Relationships are nurtured through a quantity of time. If someone you care about wants to spend time with you, that is an honor and worthy of consideration.
Being interruptible doesn’t mean you never say “no”, it means you find time to say yes to the investment in the relationships you want to build on. They are small deposits that bring great dividends in the long run.