For most of us, email is our bipolar friend. Sometimes we love it and other times it’s our worst enemy.
It’s there for us when we’re bored. It’s there when we’re trying to avoid work that makes us uncomfortable. It provides a delightful kind of anticipation every time we open it. Maybe there’s something new and important there. Maybe something exciting and wonderful.
But other times it creates a whole lot of overwhelm and frustration.
It distracts us. It keeps us from taking meaningful action on things that really matter. It makes us overwhelmed when we look at all the stuff sitting in there. Especially when it’s been sitting there for a while.
Perhaps the biggest roadblock is that email often puts us in a reactionary mode. When we compare how many emails we initiate to how many we simply respond to, it’s easy to see that we’re often not in control. We’re not doing anything deliberately, we’re just reacting to whatever comes our way.
The thing is, there’s nothing really wrong with email in and of itself. It has no intentions of creating overwhelm and pain — it’s not out to get us. And there’s nothing wrong with us either. We didn’t mean to let a useful tool get in the way of what we really want to do.
The problem comes when we don’t consciously create a skillful approach to email. If we’ve never take the time to do that, how can we expect to have the outcome that we want?
There is a way to make email your friend, without the bipolar part
If you really want to have email not get in the way AND be a tool to help you get meaningful things done, it’s going to take some time. I’ll be honest: Changing this habit is probably as hard as trying to floss. (Don’t ask me why flossing is so damn hard; it’s one of those unsolved mysteries of the Universe.)
We have to create a new way to approach email. I’ve found one tool incredibly useful in reclaiming ownership of the inbox. It’s called Email Triage.
It’s a process created by Charlie Gilkey that will help you get perspective on your inbox and help it stop snarling at you every time you think about it.
We have a limited amount of attention. The goal of email triage is to help you use that intention for the stuff that you really care about, and not have it seeped away by unnecessary stress about your inbox.
It helps when someone can guide you through it
The best thing about Email Triage isn’t that it only takes ten minutes to do, the clarity you get, or the calm you feel when you’re done. I think the best part is having someone there to guide you through the process. Just having that support helps tremendously.
This is not just another ebook.
It’s a recorded audio program that guides you through processing your inbox, step-by-step. Charlie will tell you when to pause and when to move on. He’ll help you get through the overwhelm, and find some actual peace in your inbox. Yes, it is actually possible. And he’s there with you every step of the way.
I’m not just saying this because I think Charlie is a cool dude (which he is). I recommend it because I’ve actually used this product and have seen the results. It’s helped me create more time for the things that matter in my life, make more money in my business, and increase the feeling of ease throughout my day. So I have no problem endorsing Email Triage as an affiliate. Hell, I would have created something like this myself if Charlie wasn’t such a ninja and got to it first.
How to know if Email Triage is right for you
If you want to…
- Feel more calm throughout the day
- Not be scared of your email inbox — or not have a love/hate relationship with it
- Have more time to do meaningful work on important projects
- Feel fulfilled at the end of the day (instead of just feeling busy)
Then you’ll likely benefit tremendously from Email Triage.
Did I mention it’s 10 bucks? I don’t think you can put a price on calm and ease, but that’s not bad if there was one.
>> Go here to pick up your copy of Email Triage
Let me know what you think. I have a feeling it will make a big difference.
Interesting, I’ll check it out over the weekend.
Dedicating a specific time for checking and answering emails is what I do to prevent myself from becoming too distracted by my inbox. So far, this has worked, but I’m also looking forward to learning more from Email Triage.
I love this review, Jonathan, and thank you for doing it.
I sometimes tell people that Email Triage is the 85% solution to email – it gets you to a place to where you can get a grip on it and do the work that matters, but that last 15% is just the stuff that’s particular to your own world. There is no perfect system that anyone can create that’s a 100% solution, so it’s better to have an 85% that works. Email Triage does.
Just a shout out for Charlie’s email triage – I’ve been using it for a few months (I’m *that* person who probably creates more email than I need to and then gets frustrated when I have too many responses) – Email Triage helped me tremendously and continues to. Thanks for posting the great review – all of it is right on.
Ah, email, the bane of the 21st century.
While my inbox isn’t out of hard having a system for dealing with email is the key. Knowing what to delete, what to read and what to archive makes dealing with email overload manageable.
Oh, and using that ‘subscribe’ link at the bottom of unwanted newsletters and the like is another great way to control what gets in your inbox and what doesn’t.
It doesn’t take a email ninja warrior to be able to use filters and the like for your inbox, either. But, for those who need more advanced help, knowing that there are proven strategies such as in the audio step-by-step instructions, will certainly help those who are overwhelmed.
Karen
Hmm interesting idea. I find limiting reading e-mail works fine for me. I only check it 9am and 6pm and spend 15 minutes replying/sorting it out. Although, I will check this out.
I hope that ebook will help anyone who suffers through email, but for my part I just nearly ignore my email inbox. I don’t know if that’s bad – but it works. If there is some VERY important email, I’ll answer it immiedately. If there is nothing interesting, I just leave it in there. Maybe it’s that way, because I have no business that needs email contact.
Sometimes ignoring is the best way to be happy. Happy without it.
Good plan. I like to just stop using email and phone or Skype instead sometimes. You can’t beat talking and it saves my fingers too:)
Yes you are right email’s can be a pain and also can be your best friend.
I use Charlie’s email triage although not all the time. It’s similar to the method I was using already for processing, but a little more step-by-step. So, it works really well as regular system.
I am still using email currently but only check it once a day just like Tim Ferriss suggests. Not been to the site for a while but have you done a major overhaul on its looks? It looks great! Outsource and delete email as much as possible is what I’d say. Simplicity is the key.