Time management tip: Review non-productive emails after hours
If you’re like most people, you volunteer for a number of non-profit organizations. That’s great. I highly recommend it. (I’m involved with the Rotary Club of New Berlin, the New Berlin Chamber of Commerce, the southeastern Wisconsin chapter of JDRF and a Milwaukee-area ham radio organization.)
Those organizations and the volunteers involved with them regularly send out emails asking for advice, help or information. I imagine you promptly respond to each message. I have. It’s difficult not to. Due to my background in customer service and sales, I tend to react to messages quickly. That’s the problem.
Your time is valuable, so treat it accordingly. Focus on business-related messages during business hours. Leave the volunteer work for after hours or even the weekends. Messages from those organizations rarely require an immediate response. Plus, those folks understand that you have to concentrate on business during business hours.
Be disciplined with your time. You’ll be more productive and successful as a result.
For related reading, see “Time management is all about guarding your time.”
Ever wonder how you spend your work hours? Are you engaged in productive activity the entire 8, 9 or 10 hours? Find out with a copy of my free time analysis sheet. Send a request to me via Tom@TomFuszard.com (subject line: Time Analysis Sheet). I’ll promptly send you a copy. (That’s an important message to respond to.) Good luck!
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Being on my own has been a real learning experience, Nate. Being disciplined with my time took awhile to really grasp. Without that, I can get deeply involved in non-business related matters. Not good! Thanks for stopping by.
Hey Tom,
Time management is so precious. I guard it with my life and yes I value it more so now that I’m getting older. Time is way, way more valuable than money. I like how you said, focus on business-related messages during business hours. Those are the hours that were desinated for and intend to keep it that way. Great and insighful article Tom!