Survive Email and Prosper

A week ago I finally came clean and admitted to myself that I was an email addict. I found myself checking my email about 20 times a day, whenever I (thought) I had a minute, before starting any new project or task (to get mentally ready for it), in the middle (to take a break of course), at the end (to relax), etc. I was especially vulnerable in times when I had big and scary projects to work on. At some point it seemed like checking and responding to email became my life highest priority. Big projects were progressing slowly but I was all caught up with my emails. And that somehow didn’t feel like a huge accomplishment. At last I looked at how much time and energy I was wasting on reading and responding to things very irrelevant to my life and business vision. It also became clear how distracted I felt most of my days. I only work four days a week, seven hours a day, I love it, and I don’t intend to change it anytime soon. So I really want to work efficiently and on things the most relevant to my vision.

Could you possibly relate? If so, read on.

So I bravely decided to really evolve my relationship to email. Here it is: I’m committed to checking and responding to email for 5 minutes at the beginning of my day (around 7 AM), then at the start of my work day (9 AM) for 15 minutes at noon, and for 5 minutes at the end (4 PM). Specific times of the day give me reassurance that nothing important slips through cracks, and allowing myself certain amounts of time permits me to read and respond to things really requiring my attention. Of course there are also some specific project coming through email that require more time than just five minutes, and these I schedule in my planner at appropriate times so I don’t feel the urge to respond right away if it’s not an emergency. And I have rarely seen any emergencies coming through email.

It might sound to put so much structure to something seemingly so insignificant as email habits but believe me I needed it. And I know that what I’m telling you here is not a discovery of America and it’s raelly basic time management stuff, but, if it’s so obvious and easy, why so many of us suffer from it?

I’ve been sticking to my new routine for the past week, it works, and I love it! I found myself being much more focused. And I get important things done.

So for all of you fellow email addicts: If you feel in your gut that your email habits might be standing a bit in a way to your highest good, I offer you my love, understanding and support. And I invite you to create a structure that would work for YOU to get yourself back on track to YOUR greatness.

Let me know how it’s going.

For all you entrepreneurs who feel overwhelmed by lots of business ideas, plans, possibilities and crave focus and purposeful action, please help yourself to a free Business Action Plan Workbook I developed to help my clients wrap their minds around their projects, big and small. This tool will evolve you and your business to the next level. To get your free Business Actio Plan Workbook please go to: http://www.momentumcoach.net/BusinessActionPlan.html

Be well,

Margaret Moczkowski/Evolved Business Coach
Momentum Coaching
http://www.momentumcoach.net/