The Cutest Distraction

Shift, space bar. Holding shift plus arrow down, arrow down, arrow down, arrow down.

Desktop key press I, Control plus Shift plus arrow left. Control plus C, arrow down. Alt plus E plus S plus E.

Repeat.

Those are keyboard command keys when I am doing my report in excel sheet every payroll cut off. I am kind of used to those shortcut keys for I was doing the task for almost six years. So whenever you are near me you will most likely be distracted by the non-stop sound from my computer keyboard.

This week’s writing prompt is about “Distraction”. Upon reading Jonica’s post I already know what I need to write for today’s post.

Before I begin with this prompt let me tell you the first short story of how I learned to use MS Excel.

I wasn’t really good at MS Excel and computer keyboard shortcuts, actually. If I am going to rate my excel skill from 1 to 10, being ten as the highest, I think I belong to level three only.

Only The Basics

I learned to use MS Excel when I became a student assistant at the college of engineering but only the basics. I was not familiar with excel formulas at that time. You know my task as an SA at the registrar’s office back then was just to encode student’s information in the database then print students TOR or any document depending on the request.

When I applied as a call center agent six years ago, I never expected that I would become a part of the Workforce department. I never dream of becoming a Workforce Analyst. All I wanted was to change my career from printing to outsourcing. But this type of industry that I am in right now gives a chance to people who have ambition.  In other words they are giving people a break and letting them prove what they are good at.

To make the story I became a workforce analyst by chance. My knowledge about excel formulas back then was zero. Eventually I became familiar with some of them but those only that I use for my daily task.

When you get to familiarize yourself with keyboard shortcuts there is a chance that your typing skill will boost. Not only with excel sheets but if you are a kind of a writer of course you will get to memorize all the letters, numbers and everything on the keyboard. So if you are fast enough to type in the keyboard there is more likely to hear non stop keyboard sound by typing. Thus the sound can be distracting to someone who is not used to hearing that sound. What more if the sound comes from a typewriter?

I have been working from home the whole time during this pandemic and my wife is kind of used to the keyboard sound at home during my office hours. At first she was annoyed because it sounded more like a noise. It’s kind of distracting her. She then asks me if I can make the typing without sound. Then I responded to her, of course I can but if I do so I won’t be able to finish my report before the deadline. That way I have to type in the keyboard slowly just to avoid making a keyboard sound.

Working from home is a challenge because of distractions like the noise from children playing outside, the neighbor has a Videoke, dogs barking, construction working, vehicles passing and all the noise that is common to hear in an open area.

Sometimes when children are playing in front of our rented house, I will tell them to stay away and go to their home. It’s not only me that I get distracted but my kids too who are having a virtual class.

My wife sometimes will just don’t talk to me if I approach her. It makes her mad when she will ask questions sometimes while I am on duty. I will tell her not to disturbed me because I need to focus on something. I don’t want distraction.

Somehow she kind of get to used to it. I will talk to her and say, now that you can see how I worked and the nature of my tasks, I guess you should know what it means to be on this type of job. She then understands.

I am a person who easily gets annoyed by anything that can cause distraction whenever I am focusing on something. Sometimes I would stop whatever I am doing and look for the thing that distracts me.

During sleep I can easily be distracted by a simple noise and the bad thing about it is that I can hardly go back to sleep because of the distraction.

There are a lot of things that can cause distraction and some people are really not used to this, including me. However, as we get to used to what we are doing, especially if we are concentrating on something, these distractions will not hinder our focus.

Sometimes when I am too focused on what I am doing, I am not noticing that my wife is asking me questions. I can hear her but it doesn't just register in my thoughts because my mind is focused on what I am doing. Later on I will ask her, what did you just say? She will reply, no nothing.

Thanks for reading. Ciao!

This is my participation in  Writing prompt #17 by Jonica Bradley which is about Distraction.

The rules are simple.

1. Write anything about Distraction

2. Write 100% original content

3. Write at least 600 words

4. Submit to the PromptlyJonica community (please join if you haven't already)

5. Tag  @JonicaBradley 

6. Have fun!

Lead image source credits to Maria Teneva

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To all those who support, Thank you!

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