Tips for Email Timeboxing Strategies

There was a time when getting my inbox to zero was an actual goal of mine. It was specific, it was measurable, it was attainable, it felt relevant (getting back to people quickly is important to me), and it was time-bound. But it was a terrible goal. Truly terrible. One that with the benefit of hindsight I can say I never should have had. A study by the University of California, Irvine found that it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get yourself back on track after being interrupted. TWENTY THREE MINUTES! And every ding of an email is just that, a distraction, even if it's an important one. If you haven't become intentional about time blocking your day, try this to get started with an easy (but significant!) step. Ready? Here goes. Turn off your email. Right now. That's it! You can do it! You really can :) Then plan out 30 minutes in the morning, mid-day, and the end of the day to check emails. You'll be able to get back to everyone within just a few hours and not only will you have time to think, to plan, to do deep work that simply cannot happen when it takes 23 minutes to get back on track every time an email comes in, you may even find that responding to them all at once in blocks is a lot more efficient in an of itself. What are your thoughts on this? Tell me when you have your time blocked to reply to LI messages :). #intentionality #intentionalityinbusiness #professionaldevelopment #timemanagement #timemanagementtools #timeblocking #performanceimprovement

I am someone who consistently got "N"s in Elementary School (needs improvement) on desk organization and any other thing that had to do with order. At any given time I have dozens of windows and tabs open and my brain is ok with it. As part of a #FocusedFall, I am going to be posting about my #OrganizedOctober effort. Self-organization is a constant growth curve for me. Sunsama is a time blocking app I've used for over a year and the days I use it go amazingly. They just added a Focus bar that can travel to the many windows I have opened and remind me what I said I was going to focus on. More to come on my Organized October efforts, but thought I'd share a tip that I received in my inbox from Ashutosh Priyadarshy Sunsama's Founder this morning on managing notifications and emails. The jest is set time-blocks in your day to manage these things: *If your job requires you to be extremely responsive, you can create three versions of this task: "Inbound Triage (AM)", "Inbound Triage (Lunch)", and "Inbound Triage (PM)". This way, you'll only go about three hours between checks. *If you get a lot of requests via Slack, you can turn any message into a task in Sunsama using the "..." menu next to the message in Slack. *If a lot of your work arrives via email, add the Sunsama Gmail integration. Then you can drag emails that require more effort to tackle in as tasks and treat them like real work. *If you'd like to dive deeper into jiu-jitsuing your notifications, I recommend reading the chapter "Hack Back Email" in Nir Eyal's book Indistractable. I'll let you know how implementing these help me next week, check out links in the comments for info on Sunsama.

Discover how mastering "Inbox Zero" can reclaim hours for strategic tasks and transform your productivity: The concept of "Inbox Zero" has emerged as a beacon of efficiency and stress reduction. But what exactly is "Inbox Zero"? Coined by productivity expert Merlin Mann, it’s not about having zero emails in your inbox at all times but rather about managing your inbox in a way that your mind remains free from the clutter and stress often associated with a mounting pile of unread messages. Here's a step-by-step guide that I've found incredibly effective: 1. Streamline with filters and labels ↳ Automatically sort emails into categories and label them by project, client, or urgency. 2. Schedule email processing times ↳ Set specific times to check your email, so it doesn't become a constant distraction. 3. Apply the two-minute rule ↳ If a task can be done quickly, do it immediately to prevent a backlog. 4. Practice the Four D's ↳ Delete, Delegate, Defer, and Do. This helps you prioritize and manage your emails effectively. 5. Unsubscribe from unnecessary lists ↳ Keep your inbox relevant by regularly auditing your subscriptions. 6. Use technology to your advantage ↳ Enhance your email efficiency with tools like Boomerang, and SaneBox, and Gmail-specific enhancements such as Mailstrom, Flow-e, and Hiver. Use Inbox When Ready to minimize distractions by accessing your inbox only during designated times. 7. Regularly review and maintain ↳ Set reminders to ensure your folders and labels are up to date. Achieving Inbox Zero is less about reaching an empty inbox and more about mastering your approach to email management. By implementing these steps, you not only clear out your inbox but also pave the way for a more productive and stress-free work environment. — 💬 I’d love to hear from you:  How do you manage your inbox? Share your tips or struggles below, and let's learn from each other.👇 ❤️ If you found this helpful, like this post. ♻️ Feel free to share with others who might benefit. 🔔 Want more content like this? Follow me Sandra Pellumbi #Productivity #Leadership #HighPerformance