8 Tips to Take Control of Your Email Inbox

1. Don’t let other people dictate your work day.

I used to think checking my email first thing meant I was working hard. It meant I was being productive! I think most of us think this way. We have clients or coworkers or bosses who need to hear from us. Sound familiar?

You know the phrase, Ignorance is bliss - well it’s especially true when it comes to email! When I became ignorant to what was going on in my inbox - guess what happened? I actually had time to focus on my own to do list which led to productivity which led to profitability. I’m not denying the fact that, yes, it is important to check my email.

However, by checking it first thing in the morning I was making one crucial mistake: I was letting other people dictate my work day.

You know why I think most people start their day with email? Because it’s easier to be reactive than to be proactive. It’s easier to feel as if we are working by checking email first thing, but guess what that does? It distracts you from actually doing your actual work. You are procrastinating the job that actually needs to get done because checking email is easier. I never thought this when I was in the thick of it, but now I realize that treated my email as if it was my to do list. Even if I was simply replying and giving information, I was still doing the task for someone else instead of myself. Remember to make your work hours count!

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