Blog Post: ELECTRONIC TYRANNY: Don't let it run your life!

One of the biggest things we hear these days is how everyone is swamped with e-messages! So many people are dealing with such a high quantity of e-mails and other messages, that they are feeling severely overwhelmed by it all. Electronic messages of all types can be a real tyrant, and if you let it you can easily feel like these are controlling your personal and business life.

AN ATTITUDE THAT DRIVES THIS BEHAVIOR: Thinking that we must respond or handle immediately all electronic messages!  For most jobs and applications, this attitude is wrong-headed and counter productive.  These messages and electronic devices were meant to be a tool to help us be more effective - not be our masters!

Here are some ideas for getting control of electronic messages:

1. A BIGGIE - Consult your plan for the day before getting into e-mail (or most other computerized programs). Hitting your e-mail first will tend to suck you in, and before you know it a couple hours will fly by!
2. Have a prioritize list of things that need to be done for the day, and then prioritize your messages accordingly. Not all things are equally important, and don't have to be handled in the same way or right then.
3. Get off automatic mail lists that aren't imperative. Or, if you choose to continue receiving them, have them go automatically into a separate folder, for reading later. (In Outlook and many other programs a "rule" can be set for this.)
4. Don't feel like you have to respond or take action on something you were just copied on. You can inform people that constantly "cc" you on things unnecessarily, to respectfully remove you. (A "rule" can also be set in Outlook to automatically move messages you were copied on into a separate folder, for viewing at your discretion.)
5. Don't have an overloaded inbox of unread messages that are pending. The goal should be to handle the message only once - take action, move it, or delete it. Ways to do this are:

• If you need a message in the future, many programs (e.g. Outlook) will allow you to have it automatically recalled at a date and time you set.
• Setup folders for categories you use often. You can also set colored flags for messages (for instance; red = critical, yellow = urgent, green = important, but later) 

To read an article with more great E-mail Tips,  and other articles on leadership, employee motivation and increasing productivity, please see here www.attainmentinc.com/articles.html 

Listen to the “Attainment with Attitude” segment on The John Adam Show on KXAM 1310, Sundays 1:45 PM, for great insights on management and growing your own business! www.thejohnadamshow.com/