Productive Email Checking
Most freelance writers advise not checking your email throughout the day. Email usually ranks pretty high on the average person’s “Top 10″ list of distractions, but have you ever thought about whether or not checking your email is really going to destroy your work plan for the day?
I personally use my email to break up the day. The email browser is always open and I check it between projects or tasks. This helps me to take a break from the project I’m working on while making sure I’m up to speed but (contrary to popular belief) I don’t let my email consume me.
Here’s what I mean. There’s a difference between checking your email and “processing” your email. Checking your email means you are reading it and then setting it aside for later. You should only take action on a message if it is time-sensitive or constitutes some sort of emergency.
On the other hand, you should not process every piece of mail you read as you read it. That means you don’t fill in every “about me” survey, reply to every Facebook comment, or respond to every other message you receive. If it’s not urgent, set the message aside until your regularly scheduled “email hour.”
What? You don’t have a set time in your schedule to check your email? Perhaps that’s part of the problem. You schedule (or at least list out) your lunch breaks, appointments, and every other task, don’t you? Why not add a specific time-slot for dealing with that overcrowded inbox? Checking your inbox frequently will help you stay on top of the game or even land new gigs, but you don’t need to be attached at the hip (errr, finger tips).
Freelance writing can be time consuming if you aren’t careful to plan your day before you get to work. Including a specific time to respond to emails will only help you to make your day run smoother and you’ll soon find yourself working at a more productive pace than ever before!
Other great freelance writing resources on the web: