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Quiet and Slow to Reduce Email Overload in 2014

How did you spend the holiday period?  Were you deluged with emails on your return to work? I spent my time de-cluttering, not just my inbox but paper files, desk drawers, cupboards, you name it.  It’s amazing that I am still here!  There was also time to reflect on priorities and how best to manage my time and resources in 2014.   At the end of 2013 the #HBRogues introduced me to ‘Quiet‘ by Susan Cain.  A book on how naturally quiet people operate very successfully in the very noisy world in which we live.  Being a noisy person this gave me much food for thought.  What if I were a little quieter?  How does one create space for others to talk?  Reading ‘Quiet’ prompted me re-visit ‘In Praise of Slow‘ by Carl Honore.  Both have helped me formulate some work related new years resolutions which will also hopefully spill over in to my private life.   Here are my five new years resolutions.

Work specific

1. Think (long and hard) before saying ‘yes’ so that I don’t over commit and then have to re-jig my schedule to fit in everything.
2. Write shorter quieter emails and avoid replying to emails either late at night or in haste especially when cross.
3. Reduce the number of times I check my emails on my iphone, instead use the time away from the office to think and soak up the surroundings (be they work or social).
4. Set aside one afternoon a week which is email, social media and meeting free.
5. Be more visual (and creative) and learn to use Infographics instead of so many words.

Personal

Parkstone Golf Club – 7th hole

1. Switch off by 11.00 pm and follow my own medicine as per my recent post on The Huffington Post.
2. Notch my golf handicap down a couple more points.
3. Make time to read one good book a month.
4. Learn more about wine through attending some courses.
5. Improve my mindfulness techniques in order to shut out the noise and quieten my brain especially late at night.

Dare to share – what is your number one new year’s resolution?

Tags: #HBRogues, Carl Honore, email overload, Huffington Post, new year's resolutions, Parkstone Golf Club, Quiet, Slow, Susan Cain

One response to “Quiet and Slow to Reduce Email Overload in 2014”

1. Rita James says:

   January 18, 2014 at 2:22 pm

   Hello Dr Seeley – this was an interesting blog, considering that most people value the fast paced, extroverted, multi-tasking nature of doing business. I think that very often, people are expected to storm through work like a hurricane, multi-tasking, incessantly checking on emails etc but as we know, storms can create a lot of damage, indiscriminately, around a huge radius ….we are only on this planet once and we don’t know for how long, so whilst here, it is worthwhile taking the time to smell some roses on the way.