Skip to content
2167: How to Tame Interruptions (That Derail Your Best Laid Plans) by Julie Morgenstern on Time Management episode artwork

EPISODE · Sep 6, 2026 · 7 MIN

2167: How to Tame Interruptions (That Derail Your Best Laid Plans) by Julie Morgenstern on Time Management

from Optimal Work Daily - Career, Productivity and Entrepreneurship · host Optimal Living Daily | Dan W.

Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 2167: Julie Morgenstern explains why most spontaneous requests at work do not deserve an immediate yes. She lays out three strategies: pause before answering, weigh the request against everything else on your plate, and then respond with a gracious yes, no, or modified yes. The result is a workload you can actually carry and a reputation as someone who delivers on what they commit to. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.juliemorgenstern.com/tips-tools-blog/how-to-tame-interruptions-that-derail-your-best-laid-plans Quotes to ponder: "But 80% of the spontaneous requests that come our way do not need to be dealt with immediately." "In all other cases, it's better to put a pause in it and put some distance between the request and your response." "It's helpful to stop thinking of outside requests as their work vs. your work. The truth is, all of it is the company's work." Optimal Work Daily is a daily career advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on productivity, entrepreneurship, and work-life balance, read to you by a professional narrator so you can grow your career a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Sep 6, 2026

Embed this episode

Ready to play

2167: How to Tame Interruptions (That Derail Your Best Laid Plans) by Julie Morgenstern on Time Management

0:00 7:12

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Optimal Work Daily - Career, Productivity and Entrepreneurship?

This episode is 7 minutes long.

When was this Optimal Work Daily - Career, Productivity and Entrepreneurship episode published?

This episode was published on September 6, 2026.

Can I download this Optimal Work Daily - Career, Productivity and Entrepreneurship episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!