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PROCESS YOUR INBOX LIKE A PRODUCTIVE PRO!

PROCESS YOUR INBOX LIKE A PRODUCTIVE PRO!

by | Mar 10, 2017 | Productivity, Self Leadership

We have all been there. It happens to even the most disciplined and productive people. You sit down at your computer, open up your email and there you are, face to screen with an overflowing inbox mixed with some valuable information that you need to know, address or respond too and mostly junk that you get to wade through to find the important stuff. It’s a big deal, and it can be overwhelming. I have good friends who have thousands of emails in their inbox—with hundreds of them unread. You may be there right now.

“Email overload blows up deadlines, leads to miscommunication and damages careers.” — Mike Song

I have been in the same place too. Then I learned some simple processes to create a more proactive email management system. I am going to share with you three ideas that can help you conquer your email inbox too.

But before we get to the three ways to be more effective and efficient with your inbox, let me share some reasons why this is so important to your productivity.

Kevin Kruse, in his most read book, 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management, shares the results of a survey by the McKinsey Global Institute which shows office workers spend up to one-third of their days reading and replying to emails.

Another scientific study found that most people check email about every fifteen minutes, which adds up to thirty-two times over an eight-hour day. Wow! That’s thirty-two times your attention is distracted and interrupted by what you could be or should be accomplishing.

But that is not all! Did you know that according to one study by the University of California at Irvine, it takes an average of 25 MINUTES to resume a task after an interruption like an email? Just think how much time you can apply to more significant projects and your personal development by merely getting control of your inbox.

So, let me give you my three ways to take control of your inbox.

1. STOP checking your email, START Processing your email.

There is a big difference. When you check your email, you tend to scan it for important messages. The problem is you have not addressed what to do with all the other emails in your inbox. When you process your email, you decide on each email and put them in the appropriate place. I will show you how in my third way to take control of your inbox.

The big idea here is you only want to deal with each email one time. Read each email once, then take the appropriate action. If you don’t process your email, you are wasting precious time.

2. Process email as few times as possible!

The people who are the most productive open their inbox as few times as possible. Instead of keeping email open all the time, you should open it at specific times during the day. Personally, I try to process my inbox only three times a day. The first time is at 9 am, the second is around 11:30 am and the last time is at 4:30 pm, before I leave the office.

As a side, I do not process my inbox on my day off. I try to avoid letting as Kevin Kruse states it, “other people to put their priorities into your life,” during my Sabbath.

3. Use a system to process your email.

There are many ways; I am sure to treat your inbox. The system that I use, I learned from David Allen’s book, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity.  The idea is to ask a straightforward question of each email…Does it require action? Based on the answer, I deal with each email quickly and efficiently. If yes, there are three options; Do, Delegate, or Defer. If no, there are two options; Delete or File for reference.

Another system that I have recently discovered in the book, Personal Productivity Secrets: Do what you never thought possible with your time and attention… and regain control of your life, by Maura Nevel Thomas, is called the TESST system, a variation of the GTD system. You can read more about it in my post “Put Your Inbox to the TESST .”

So what do you do if you are currently one of those whose email inbox is out of control? I recommend you think about filing “Email Bankruptcy.” Michael Hyatt’s post, DECLARE EMAIL BANKRUPTCY AND GET A FRESH START is beneficial. Take a look, do the steps, and get a fresh start processing your inbox like a productive pro.

SHORTCHANGED: LESSON LEARNED ON MY BIKE!

SHORTCHANGED: LESSON LEARNED ON MY BIKE!

by | Feb 7, 2016 | Personal Development, Self Leadership

Have you ever been shortchanged? You know, you’re at the store paying cash for a purchase and realizing after leaving the store that you were overcharged or did not receive the correct change. Or you pull away from a drive through only to realize that your complete order is not in the bag. We all know how that feels to one extent or another. It makes us angry, frustrated, disappointed, maybe even confused, thinking that we may have had made a mistake. Regardless, it is not cool to be shortchanged.

A few days ago, something happened to me that made me think about being shortchanged. The sad thing is, I shortchanged myself. I love cycling. It is my cardio exercise of choice. I typically try to get 20 to 30 miles in every time I go for a ride. On this particular day, my goal was to get 20 miles. I am blessed to live pretty close to the ocean, and the route I ride takes me along the beach. There are, however, a couple of bridges that I have to travel over during my trek. Now, this doesn’t seem like a big deal, but two of the bridges are drawbridges, and the surface of these bridges are metal grating. When it has rained, and these bridges get wet, they can be very slippery. Because of past experiences of fishtailing across the bridges, I have a consistent anxiety every time I have to ride over one of them. So, I came over the first bridge, and when I arrived at the intersection, where I would take a right turn to continue my ride, I decided to make a left turn instead and avoid the second bridge. Not a big deal! I will take a different route.

After cruising on my new chosen course for a while, it became apparent that I was not going to hit my 20-mile goal before I reached my final destination. That is when it hit me; I just shortchanged my progress. Instead of riding 20 miles, I rode 15.5 miles. After my ride, I starting thinking about what riding 4.5 fewer miles could potentially mean to my fitness. I not only shortened the distance of my journey, but I also reduce the amount of time I exercised and shortchanged my caloric output by 300 calories. Again, doesn’t seem like a big deal, right? However, compounded over time, a small insignificant decision has significant consequences. I try to cycle three to four times a week. Three hundred calories multiplied by four days equals 1200 calories multiplied by 52 weeks equals 62,400 calories or almost 18 pounds of potential weight loss/gain.

In his book, The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success, Darren Hardy, states that small, smart choices plus consistency plus time equal radical difference (p.10). We witness this in many areas of life. The little decisions we day in and day out can determine our future. One of our leadership values at Christ Fellowship is that we are Faithful In the Small Things. We know that as a person is faithful, day in and day out, the compounding effect over time is an individual who earns trust to have greater responsibility and influence. Jesus, says these very same words in the parable of the faithful servants, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities.” Matthew 25:23. But let’s face it, when we want to do big, important things, it can be difficult to be faithful in small, seemingly insignificant tasks. There is the gravity-like pull to try and take an easier route to leadership and influence. However, it is in the consistency over time of doing the small things, making the small choices that compound and build the character, maturity, and resilience to lead at higher levels. Eric Greitens, in his book, Resilience: Hard Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life, say, “What you will become is a result of what you are willing to endure.”

So, when you arrive at the intersection and have the opportunity to turn and continue the journey to the leadership and influence ahead of you or turn the opposite way, don’t shortchange yourself. Turn right!