The Inbox Dilemma

A big complaint that I often hear when it comes to time management is that by the time we get through emails there’s no time to tackle the important stuff. The thing is, being a slave to your email inbox actually has very little to do with time management … it simply means you need to step away from your email inbox and focus on the productive work that you want and need to be doing.

Here’s my first recommendation: turn off notifications. Right now. On both your phone and your computer. Trust me, if something is really important, you’ll hear about it.

Second thing: think about your influx of emails, the flow of your business day and your (that’s right, YOU!) preference. What makes sense? Checking emails 2-3 times per day is actually quite sufficient for most.

In my creative role as an interior designer - when I’m not wearing my consultant hat - that’s how I operate. I generally scan through emails first thing in the morning. Handle emergencies, tackle quick tasks, and then, for the bigger tasks, see how they need to fall in the line-up of priorities. Some days, if I have a day where I need some creative focus, or I’m on the road, that inbox doesn’t get a second look until the end of the day. Other times, a quick check in to make sure no fires have started around lunch time is just fine. And then, yes, a final look towards the end of the day. I leave myself enough time to take care of the quick items, file away emails that are all set, and then adjust my list for the following day.

What happens when you’re checking that inbox all day long? Well, it means that you’re just working on your emails all. day. long. And that’s it. Email should never be a full on job or really even a full blown task. It should be a tool - to communicate, to get things done faster. As a creative business owner, its especially imperative for you to have structured blocks of time set a side to work on the creative work that you enjoy and that generates the income for the business.