As one man wrote, “Noise pollution? I think this is true. Perfect example: I'm in bathroom at work standing at a urinal, doing my business. If someone walks in - another introvert - they will just do their business and leave. If an extrovert - like one of sales guys - walks in - immediately conversation ensues. ‘How bout those Mets?’ type conversation. Drives me berserk.”

A woman on Forum replied, “If you think that’s bad, I’ve been in women’s room when someone initiates a call from stall next to me and carries on a perky conversation with their boyfriend. That’s when I start flushing toilet so perhaps she will be ashamed when someone on other end hears what she’s doing. What has happened to people’s sense of decency?”

Aside from annoyance in public places, noise can disrupt one of things we introverts do best, contemplation. Introverts learn by turning facts into knowledge. We like to “think it over” and “connect dots”. Contrary to popular belief by suspicious extroverts, that is more than likely what we are doing in our rooms with doors closed – thinking something over!

Schopenhauer explains beautifully what happens when noise these deep thoughts of ours. “I explain matter as follows,” he says. “as when a large diamond is broken to pieces its value is equal to only so many little diamonds, or when an army is reduced to small units it becomes ineffective, so when a great mind is interrupted, disturbed and distracted it is capable of no more than a commonplace mind, because its superiority consists in concentrating all its forces on one single point and object, in same way as a concave mirror concentrates all its rays, and this is precisely what noisy interruption prevents it from doing.”

Schopenhauer is referring to fantastic ability most introverts have to focus. This is one of reasons we get our work done at work rather than sitting around coffee room indulging in small talk. This isn’t even tempting to most of us. Most of us would rather die than small talk, truth be known. While we concentrate, we pull all our thoughts together to focus them on a point, contrast, synthesis or greater understanding. This is way we think. This is way we learn. When that process is interrupted, all is lost!

Schopenhauer continues, “That is why eminent minds have always been so extremely averse to every kind of disturbance, interruption and distraction, and most of all to violent interruption by noise, while rest are not especially troubled by it.” Perhaps not all introverts have “eminent” minds, and certainly few have minds like Schopenhauer; however, there is a known statistical correlation between introversion, giftedness, PhDs and Phi Beta Kappas. It would seem that higher you go in education and IQ intelligence, ratio of introverts to extroverts reverses itself with a majority of Rhodes Scholars being introverts, for example.

Think of most beautiful library you have ever seen a picture of and how soothing it is to imagine yourself sitting there reading or contemplating in “perfect” silence. Now that’s what we call “fun”! Almost every introvert I know, when dragged on a cruise, spends their time in ships library. For us, silence can be very golden.

Last time I was in :Las Vegas -- extrovert Heaven -- my table at breakfast permitted me to eat, drink, chit chat, watch games on TV, buy tickets, mark cards and romance waitress all at same time. This is extrovert Heaven. Extroverts welcome diversion, distraction and interruption. What goes on in their minds? Schopenhauer said it pretty well, “Where there is nothing to interrupt, to be sure, it will cause no especial discomfiture.”

6.Clear off your desk and concentrate only on one task.

7.Develop habit of “Do it now!” especially with small tasks before they pile up.

8.Enjoy your time off and allow yourself to stay fresh for your project at hand.

9.Reward yourself along way. Delaying gratification until your final results is important, but small and targeted rewards can help move you down your path. Target rewards to suit your goals. If your goal is fitness, reward yourself with a new pair of running shoes as you progress.

10.Put concept of incremental advantage on your side. Add more time to your day for a slight edge. Get up a little earlier or take less of a lunch break and over time you will begin to accomplish more than you thought you could. Not only will you get more done, but you will feel better and more in control of your destiny. Adding 1 hour of productive time a day is 365 hours a year that could be invested in your future. This is rough equivalent of an extra 2 weeks a year of productivity.

Successfully getting what you want or achieving a goal boils down to following components: STACK- Set your courseTake ActionAccept results as feedbackCorrect course based on feedbackKeep on “Stacking The Logs!” Overcoming temptation of procrastinating and taking action is absolutely essential to this strategy. Having a roadmap without traveling keeps you separated from your destination. Put off procrastinating and start down road to your goals.

This is an excerpt from Frank F. Lunn’s book Stack The Logs! Building a Success Framework to Reach Your Dreams. This live-your-life-by-design book is part of Empowerment series published by Kahuna Business Group. Click here to order and start living life you desire…and deserve.

To learn more about STACK Strategy or to take control of your life…purchase Stack Logs! Visit www.stackthelogs.com or email frank@stackthelogs.com. One-tenth of selling price of $19.95 will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to further work of: “Finding cures. Saving children.”