Comments on: The curse of e-mail http://talkingtiger.org/2007/06/21/the-curse-of-e-mail/ Fri, 23 Jan 2009 23:18:06 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Bob http://talkingtiger.org/2007/06/21/the-curse-of-e-mail/#comment-47 Bob Fri, 22 Jun 2007 23:58:00 +0000 http://talkingtiger.org/?p=95#comment-47 Have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_Things_Done -- and I can recommend replying to trivial-looking emails with "I'm really busy, if this is important to you, please let me know and I'll make time to deal with it." - 9/10 times people don't reply back and you've cleared something without having to read it or think about it.<br/><br/>It could also help to set aside 2 hours (or whatever) to deal with email and then close your email client until the next day; or setting it to check for new mail only once every 4 hours. This'll stop it becoming a constant drain on your time - and will let you tell people "No, I haven't got your email yet, I've been busy, I'll look tomorrow."<br/><br/>Of course, I also have an auto-responder on my inbox that replies to everyone not in my address book saying "My Inbox is really busy, I'll try get to your message, but please don't be offended if it isn't today, or even this week."<br/><br/>Basically, I find that if you tell people you're not going to do whatever it is right away - most of the time they forget about it and move on, find alternate solutions or call/visit you. Have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_Things_Done — and I can recommend replying to trivial-looking emails with “I’m really busy, if this is important to you, please let me know and I’ll make time to deal with it.” – 9/10 times people don’t reply back and you’ve cleared something without having to read it or think about it.

It could also help to set aside 2 hours (or whatever) to deal with email and then close your email client until the next day; or setting it to check for new mail only once every 4 hours. This’ll stop it becoming a constant drain on your time – and will let you tell people “No, I haven’t got your email yet, I’ve been busy, I’ll look tomorrow.”

Of course, I also have an auto-responder on my inbox that replies to everyone not in my address book saying “My Inbox is really busy, I’ll try get to your message, but please don’t be offended if it isn’t today, or even this week.”

Basically, I find that if you tell people you’re not going to do whatever it is right away – most of the time they forget about it and move on, find alternate solutions or call/visit you.

]]> By: Tiger http://talkingtiger.org/2007/06/21/the-curse-of-e-mail/#comment-46 Tiger Fri, 22 Jun 2007 13:35:00 +0000 http://talkingtiger.org/?p=95#comment-46 &, thanks heaps for the re-worked Bible verse (it seems to quite eerily fit the bill!), and also the links to the blog series. I've started reading them, and will watch the talks tomorrow. This whole topic of stress and how to best use our very limited time has really got me thinking... &, thanks heaps for the re-worked Bible verse (it seems to quite eerily fit the bill!), and also the links to the blog series. I’ve started reading them, and will watch the talks tomorrow. This whole topic of stress and how to best use our very limited time has really got me thinking…

]]> By: &rew http://talkingtiger.org/2007/06/21/the-curse-of-e-mail/#comment-45 &rew Thu, 21 Jun 2007 23:42:00 +0000 http://talkingtiger.org/?p=95#comment-45 <i>Any suggestions for how I can prevent my inbox from dominating me again?</i><br/>Don't send out any emails, you will get less replies :)<br/><br/>Luke 11:24-26:<br/>"When the e-mail has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other e-mails more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first."<br/><br/>(This was taken from the clip <a HREF="http://theresurgence.com/md_blog_2007-06-13_death_by_ministry_part_1" REL="nofollow">here</a>, but at the bottom of the link you can see how successful people deal(or are controlled by) the flow of information.) Any suggestions for how I can prevent my inbox from dominating me again?
Don’t send out any emails, you will get less replies :)

Luke 11:24-26:
“When the e-mail has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other e-mails more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

(This was taken from the clip here, but at the bottom of the link you can see how successful people deal(or are controlled by) the flow of information.)

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