Inbox detox

The notification shows how many unread emails can drive a person crazy. After an afternoon filled with meetings, you can turn on your computer – and there it is, that notification telling you how much you still need to do. And that's just one of the many places demanding your attention. It's incredible the mental toll just that simple badge on your inbox icon can create. In fact, look at your inbox right now and see how many unread emails there are. I know of friends who have thousands of unread emails and seeing that just makes me nuts.

In Christina Randle's book, Getting It Together, she lays out her proprietary system for moving from survival mode to thriving. She calls it The Effective Edge. Our lives are filled with clutter, interruptions and important information to which we must pay attention. Technology, thought to help, has increased the volume of information we are bombarded with. According to Randle, getting The Effective Edge™ involves:

E – Emptying – Your inbox, voicemail and desktop are all collection points that can gather information and clutter. Randle suggests that we empty daily.

D – Deciding – To empty yourself, you need the ability to make quick decisions. Randle says the process is the 4 Ds:

Delete

Do

Delegate

Defer

G – Grouping – Grouping tasks that are similar allows you to handle them more quickly.

E – Executing – Randle suggests we all want to spend more time accomplishing things. To do this, we must ensure a seamless system of reducing clutter, making decisions and grouping.

Admittedly, this all sounds easy and everyone is different. The key is to find a system that works for you. I try to end every day with zero emails in my inbox. Let's just say that some days are better than others. As you continue down your journey of minimizing distractions and maximizing productivity, you might consider starting first with your email inbox and your voicemail. Imagine how great it would be to end your day with no voicemail to listen to or emails yet to be read. All were either deleted, done, delegated or filed for future action.

There is nothing in the inbox or voicemail. How would that change your attitude, feelings and productivity this Monday morning?

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development. You can reach him at Jeff.Schmidt@rab.com. You can all so connect with him on X and LinkedIn.