I can do without most emails I receive; I’ve been added to mailing lists, get junk from opting in to other sites, and face an inbox of thousands of old messages from non-humans that will probably never get read. I’ve set up VIP’s for every human I do interact with so I know it is from a person and not from a program or service.
Another thing I’ve done is establish a 6 10 2 6 Email checking strategy.
At 6am, I spend 6 minutes sending and receiving email
at 10am, I spend 10 minutes doing the same
at 2pm, I do a quick check and reply only to urgent emails
at 6pm, I do the same thing I did at 6am – 6 minutes
then, if time allows, I will spend an additional 6 minutes scattered throughout the day to check and see if anything important has come through.
By limiting my exposure to email to less than 30 minutes a day, I stay more focused and communicate more consciously with my colleagues.
Try this at your office, and see how your productivity improves!
