Susan Biali

I’m in Vancouver this week and had a meeting today with my fabulous publicity team, Lesley Diana and Tanya Tweten of The Promotion People.   Lesley asked me how I was doing with my schedule and email load, and mentioned that she was concerned that I might soon hit overwhelm.  “You’re only going to keep getting busier,” she warned. She’s right. 

Over the last few months, my email burden has swelled to the point where it could easily take over my whole day, every day.  Coaching inquiries, emails from clients, wonderful newsletters from my favourite motivational experts, publicity and business tips that I’d benefit so much from, if I only had time to read them…I’m behind, all the time, and am starting to realize that there must be a better way of using my time.  Surely all this e-mailing is preventing me from doing other things that would be far more productive and important. 

Can you relate?

I asked a successful and highly capable friend the other day, how she manages her email burden.  She said she only answers urgent ones immediately, and that she tries to answer all other emails in 48 hours.  I’ve begun flagging all emails that can wait, and only answer the most time-sensitive ones right away (such as those from potential clients). 

I’m only partially succeeding, as I love to procrastinate by reading emails from friends, or other e-zine type mailings, instead of tearing myself away and doing something more constructive that needs attention.  I also tend to let the flagged emails pile up, answering some as late as a week or more after the fact.  I neglected to factor in a set time in my schedule to answer them, so I just end up doing it when I happen to remember.  Not a great system!

Do you use email to procrastinate?  Do you have a system to answer them, or do you let the arriving emails drive your day and how you spend your time? 

I’ve noticed that many people write extremely short emails, which I’m trying to emulate.  I don’t really like it as a style of interaction, but I think it’s likely born out of necessity.

What are you doing to help lighten the email load, to prevent it from taking over your day and your life?  Do you have any organizational secrets or tips?  I’d like to know!  (And I’m sure others would, too)

Another thing that I’m planning to do next week, when I’m back in Mexico and back to my normal routine, is an exercise that I learned from motivational expert Chris Widener.  I’m going to log my time ruthlessly, to document how much time I spend doing what.  I’m actually going to monitor how long I take to write certain emails, how much time I spend on the computer, how much time I spend writing, how much time I spend driving, etc.   I’m almost scared to do this, but I’m sure the results will be illuminating and fascinating.  I have this sense that I'm working and working, all day long, but not quite achieving the truly important things I should be dedicating the most time to.

Feel free to join me in this time-log experiment - do it yourself, and let me know how it goes!

Finally, I’m also going to do a goals workshop from business philosopher Jim Rohn that I’ve had on my computer for several months. I need to get clearer on exactly what my goals are, and what my top priorities are, in order to schedule my day according to those priorities.  More often than not, my day ends up being reactive (based on what news arrives via phone or email), or planned based on short-term rather than long-term goals.   

As Rohn says: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.  Ouch!

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