I was recently talking to a friend of mine who’s been a CEO for multiple businesses. He’s one of the most organized, focused people I know so I asked him how he keeps himself on track given all his multiple deliverables. He shared with me a number of thoughts but one really stuck out that related to how he manages his email. He told me that he only checks his email first thing in the morning and then at the end of the day. That’s it. Nothing in between. If someone needs something urgently, they call him.
Here’s what he said ‘when you are responding to emails you are reacting to someone else’s agenda versus driving your own.’ As someone who can easily get sucked into the vortex of my email in-basket, I have first-hand knowledge of how a 15-minute exercise becomes 90 minutes of lost time. How much of your time and focus is going to email? Consider putting some boundaries in place to regain your productivity and focus. You may not be able to only check it twice a day, but instituting limits may help you get to those more important items on your agenda. (And at the very least, turn off those distracting notifications!)
Where can you start rescheduling your own agenda?
P.S. May the Fourth be with you!
