Email can take over your life. There I have said it! But, it’s just little notes and messages, you say. Yes, it’s just words, but everything is coming at us at an alarming rate and everything is mixed up: the good, the bad, and the ugly. As business people, we now rely on email for all kinds of communication, and we certainly can’t afford to miss out on anything important. So how are we going to manage our email before it manages us? We will explore that very relevant question in this article.
First of all, if you think it’s simply a time management issue, you’d be wrong. It would be more accurate to say that it is a information management issue. Information rushes at us with such speed that it is almost beyond belief. Some days, I feel like I’m standing in front of a fire hose with the power turned on full blast. I’m conflicted: I love communicating via email because it’s so much faster than the phone and I don’t have to chat. But I also feel like keeping up is keeping me from doing my job. Some studies have indicated that a whopping 40% of our working day is spent managing email. That is simply unacceptable!
So what can we do?
1. Reduce overall email volume. – I returned from a conference earlier this year and made a radical decision. I hadn’t even been able to go to a training event without worrying about the mountain of emails piling up. When I boarded the plane to go home, I put my cell phone in “Flight Mode” and went through all the emails that had been downloaded to my Blackberry. I had several hours of time, so I did a little spreadsheet by hand and was able to determine that I just had to let go of some of these things, even the things I enjoyed. When I got home, I unsubscribed from about 35 information websites that had been sending me “stuff” on a regular basis. Since then, I think I’ve even reduced it further. No, I may not know what the sales are at Costco and Sears, and I may not have coupons available for the local grocery store, but at least I don’t have to think about it anymore.
2. Keep your “primary” email address for business only – If you have a domain email address like JohnDoe(at)MyCompany.com, use it for business only. Get another email for personal use. I recommend Gmail over all others like Hotmail, Yahoo or AOL. There are several reasons, which are beyond the scope of this article, so you can do your own research if you want, or just trust me: Gmail is the way to go. I also have a separate email address just for my internet marketing research, such as when I sign up or “subscribe” to a special report or eBook to learn more. I used to clutter up my main business email account, but after realizing that my email life had become unmanageable, I separated my life into three email accounts.
These are just two of the ways you can start managing your email. I will write again on this topic, so stay tuned.
I invite you to visit my personal blog, where I write regularly, offering Tips for Life and Business. http://www.jeannekolenda.com
Thank you for reading.
