If we are unsure what to do, or hesitant to take on the next important and challenging task, consciously or subconsciously, what do we end up slipping into?
Into our e-mail inbox!
E-mail is “great” (or not so great) that way! It gives us this immediate satisfaction of getting something done and feeling good. Does it sound like an addition? It is. And like any addition, the feeling good doesn’t last too long, and we seek more of it to bring back that feeling, but what happens is that we get increasingly and chronically “e-mail fatigued.”
So what can we do about it?
- How about becoming more purposeful and more intentional, and instead of resorting to e-mail (or Twitter—which is e-mail on steroid one might say), resorting to a few minutes of stopping and strategic thinking to really identify something meaningful to do.
- How about we take on the challenging task first instead of e-mail first. Let e-mail be the reward (if it can be called a reward) instead of being the pre-requisite. When we take on the challenging task first, we learn and develop. We also prompt the issues and bring ourselves to face the issues. As a result we feel more accomplished and we contribute more significantly to our team and organization!
- How about we disconnect for a bit (from e-mail, and even the web if applicable) and just focus on moving forward this important and strategic program or initiative. Adam. S. Christensen (our guest speaker, at the Gen X in Action webinar recently--recording available) said “I get the best work done when I am disconnected”. Try it out and see for yourself!
Whatever it is for you (E-mail, Twitter, Facebook, or whatever else) what are you going to do about it? We look forward to your comments!
Check out The Accomplishing More With Less Workbook at Amazon.com for more tips about stopping and being purposeful!
You are so right on, Pierre. E-mail can be the procrastinator's greatest ally (take it from a master of that art!). We "know how" to respond to e-mail (and yes, Twitter: as you said, "e-mail on steroids"!), thus further delaying getting down to the thing we don't quite know how to attack. And for those of us even mildly inclined to addictive behavior, what a massive time-sucker e-mail/Twitter can become. End result: our "accomplishment" may mean very little -- and there will just be more e-mail to respond to in a very little while & we're right back to square 1. But if we attack the challenging task with intentionality & focus, we can boost our real accomplishment quota many times over. Thanks for making it your goal to remind us of these really important principles -- and thanks for the book. I'm making my way through it with gusto!
Posted by: Beth Weisberg | October 27, 2009 at 03:48 PM