I know it sounds good. When I was in the business world, I prided myself on having an open door. If you had a problem, you could come on in, and we would knock ideas around until we came up with a solution.

I’m not against open door policies. I’m just against always open door policies. This was something that I learned the hard way, and I had to rethink my philosophy.

When you are constantly available, you are constantly distracted. There’s just no way around it. The minute I would get going on a report or auditing contractors, someone would walk through my door or give me a call. I lost time and focus.

There is such a thing as too much accessibility. While I am talking about work, this is a truth that transcends every aspect of life.

You don’t have unlimited time or focus. There are only so many pieces of the pie. You have to prioritize your time by decreasing unnecessary distractions.

• Put a do not disturb sign on your door
• Turn off your cell phone
• Unplug your office phone
• Shut down your email
• Kill your social apps

Giving everyone access to you, actually reduces accessibility for the people who need you most. You can’t meet your deadlines, or give your family the time they deserve.

Something to think about 🙂

-Jan R