Time-saving tips and tools online
- Luke Telford
- 12 August 2009
Photo credit: saavem @ sxc.hu
Unfortunately, when it comes to business, this time-wasting turns into essential connectivity. For many, the time and effort it takes to be connected 24/7 just in case, is perfectly justified.
This needn't be! Instead of wading through the ever-escalating information overload, it pays to set yourself some time-wasting guidelines for dealing with it.
You might've heard about productivity guru Timothy Ferriss. Whilst we're fairly sure the title of his book ‘The 4-Hour Work Week
' is pretty much deluded optimism, he does have some useful ideas.
Ferriss talks about ‘batching' tasks. By this he basically means dividing like tasks into groups, like email for example. Then, only attend to the work that accumulates in these groups periodically: twice a day or twice a week, depending on how much ‘selective ignorance' you think you can get away with.
This will stop you from being constantly distracted by emails, allowing you to think more linearly about the stuff that needs doing now.
Another idea for the email avalanche is to set up an auto-responder. You can treat this as a kind of FAQ for customers, if you like. As you're effectively fobbing them off with a machine, make sure the tone of your message isn't too formal. Include a way to contact you directly in case their inquiry is super-important. If you've implemented some new email discipline, you could include info on when you'll be checking your inbox.
You'd be surprised at how many emails are actually vital.
Most good email programs have ‘filter' features that help with the automation bit. For help with this, Eudora and Pegasus
are definitely worth checking out.
It would do you good to turn off those Twitter alerts, too. But, if you just can't do without them, use programs like Twalala, Twittersnooze, and Twitterfox to organise your incoming tweet
storm.
And remember, discipline is key: it's important not to confuse being on the ball with connectivity addiction!
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