#Things to consider
- We cede control of our workday—and our to-do lists—to the dictates of others in pursuit of a mirage called “inbox zero.”
- Remember that completing meaningful work takes time—often weeks, months, or even years. Stay engaged with your meaningful work, and fend off the allure of email. It’s important to make your progress visible. You have to define a game where you make your meaningful work as addictive as email.
- Steel yourself against idle email checking by making a ritual of jotting down tomorrow’s to-do list before you leave the office each night.
- Remember that each time you send an email, you are also sending a subtle signal that sets expectations with your colleagues, clients, and customers. If you respond to your client’s emails within 15 minutes, that client will begin to expect you to respond within 15 minutes. Be careful with your expectations.
- Email is an excellent medium for asking but an awful one for declining.