YES TO LESS: Email overload
Therefore, I pledge to say Yes to Less Email.
There are important things to consider when saying yes to a little less time in email, etiquette, proper usage etc., which is important to consider when managing your time; however, you don't have to spend every waking minute tuned in to the "You have Mail..." message.
Here are three ways I plan to limit the amount of time that I use, check, surf and compose emails.
1. Turn off all reminders and alerts.
If you use Outlook, it's easy to turn off the disruptions. By going to your settings (Tools, Options, Preferences, Advanced Email Settings) you can un-check the audible alarm, cursor change when email arrives, envelope notification or desktop notifications. When removing the disruption, you take away the temptation to check email.
2. If you can't stop, use a timer.
I am pretty good at this, but I recommend to a lot of my clients that have issues with setting boundaries. If you say "I will only check email for 20 minutes in the morning and you are spending 30-45 minutes each day responding, reading or emailing back and fourth, maybe you need a physical alarm to remind you to stop. Egg timers are the best tool when needing to learn boundaries in our time.
3. First thing in the morning and last thing before you go home (this is my #1 goal).
Email etiquette is important. There is nothing more irritating than people that don't respond to a request within a reasonable amount of time. If you are in business (or even with friends), 24 hours is a reasonable amount of time to respond to requests. If you are going to be out of town, indicate it through your email. If you only check email once a day and you don't have an answer, respond accordingly. A good rule of thumb is to always check it twice a day, first thing and last thing is a great habit to get into.
Do you get bogged down with email? How do you manage?
image from library bar dot es
Don't hate me but I can honestly say no. I spend about 15 minutes a day on email - sometimes less.
Didn't you know I'm the Email Ninja? LOL
When I'm working on a project, I close Outlook. And I use all my tricks to keep that email boundary at 15 minutes!
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Hate you, never!!!! I do vaguely remember hearing that somewhere (that you are an Email Ninja), and you are right, when you get yourself in the habit of doing the same thing every time, it does get easier to control. Where I fall down is when I sit down to start a project, I check email first... very very bad... need to break that habit!
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