12-Steps of e-mail addiction
So I’m not so surprised to see this. I have been just as guilty of checking my email repeatedly in a very short time frame. I was also probably on drugs at the time, or perhaps I was waiting to see what sort of response I would get from a snappy email I sent out to someone. At any rate - I used to really love email when I first discovered it. I emailed everyone! Now I personally dislike email - and I have grown to like instant messaging much better. Soon I will probably have to go to a 12-step program for IM but for now, thanks to CNN - here are the 12 - Steps for those of you who are suffering:
- Admit that e-mail is managing you. Let go of your need to check e-mail every ten minutes
- Commit to keeping your inbox empty.
- Create files where you can put inbox material that needs to be acted on.
- Make broad headings for your filing system so that you have to spend less time looking for filed material.
- Deal immediately with any e-mail that can be handled in two minutes or less but create a file for mails that will take longer.
- Set a target date to empty your in box. Don’t spend more than an hour at a time doing it.
- Turn off automatic send/receive.
- Establish regular times to review your e-mail.
- Involve others in conquering your addiction.
- Reduce the amount of e-mail you receive.
- Save time by using only one subject per e-mail; delete extra comments from forwarded e-mail, and make the subject line detailed.
- Celebrate taking a new approach to e-mail.
Posted: February 20th, 2007 under Triviality.
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Comments
Comment from Dizzle
Time: 21 February, 2007, 12:15 pm
All those steps will take hours and hours! Can’t I just check my email every ten minutes? I mean, that’s sort of a thoughtless activity. Doing all those other things means I have to focus on email qua email, which is sorta weird given that I’m trying to give it up. It’s sorta like a cutter having to organize his knives, sharpen them, give them names, smell them, and not cut.
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