… the environment?
It’s been almost two hours since I’m writing my book at Starbucks. I like this one: it takes me a good walk to get here (and back home), and there are usually other people working quietly on their projects.
But 5 minutes ago, a loud lady came in and chose the table beside me. Two men accompanied her, and they all start talking so loud the whole room could hear their conversation!
I don’t know about others, but for an introvert like me this is quite overwhelming and drains my energy. I can’t focus anymore!
Determined to continue writing, I put on my iPod earplugs and start listening to my daughter’s classical compositions. Soooo relaxing! I soon regain my focus and continue to write.
After a while, I became again aware of the “noise”. These three people don’t even realize how disturbing they are! The lady seems to be in sales, and I can’t stop asking myself if that loud, pushy speaking style makes someone a great salesperson. It’s quite intimidating for an introvert! We either run away or give in (but only once, then we avoid the person).
Some time ago I’ve asked, in a facebook group for introverts, how do they feel when a salesperson approaches them in a store. In one hour I’ve got 134 answers, most of them saying they don’t like to be approached, and turn back when someone comes their way. Some even prefer shopping mostly online.
We, introverts, need more time than extroverts to process the information. Not because we have a slower thinking process, on the contrary. We take in much more details than extroverts, and need time to filter first what’s useful information and what is “noise”. Plus, we also compare the “input” with what’s stored in our long term memory, to come up with thoughtful answers. In the presence of someone talking fast and loud, it’s hard for us to do all this fast, and we can easily get overwhelmed and shut down.
Ok, back to my story. The loud trio didn’t give any clue they’re planning to leave soon, so I gave up! Maybe it was time to leave anyway. I packed my stuff and got outside. Breathing in the fresh air felt so gooooood! I start walking, allowing the music pace to guide my steps. When my daughter’s song “Hurry” start playing, my walking pace followed the accelerated rhythm. I smiled, walking like this for a while. Then I’ve texted my daughter to share my experience with her music, and I asked if she has a composition that brings Financial Abundance. 🙂
My questions for you:
What do you do to stay focused? How much are you bothered by the environment you’re in?
Gabriela
PS 1: If you’d like to listen to my daughter’s compositions too, you can find them here: https://soundcloud.com/
PS 2: I’d like to thank Melanie for asking what a Wheel of Job Search is. 🙂 It made me think of giving away that chapter of my book. You can grab it here if you want. Feel free to share it with others if they’re interested.
