is email making you LESS productive?

Turns out, everything went horribly wrong.

Hey,

In the last few days, I’ve been reviewing your answers to the email overwhelm survey.

And they’re shocking (to say the least).

I asked: “And how many emails do you normally receive per day?”

85% of you replied with “more than 100”.

That. Is. INSANE.

Email was supposed to make us more productive. A modern tool for the modern knowledge worker.

Right?

Not so much.

Turns out, everything went horribly wrong.

What if…

Instead…

Email made you…

*gasps*

Less productive.

Would you agree?

Suppose you could run a simple test:

• On Day 1, you’d go about your work as usual

• On Day 2, everything was the same, except there was no email

Which day do you think you’d be more productive?

Day 2, right?

Right.

Imagine this:

You could actually work for 2 hours straight. No more quick glances to see “if there’s anything new” in your inbox.

Yes, there could be other interruptions. A meeting with your boss. A coworker asking for help.

But they’re not happening every 6 minutes, right?

Because that’s what email is doing.

The average knowledge worker “checks in” on email and IM every 6 minutes. ( source )

Can you imagine if a colleague interrupted you EVERY 6 minutes? It would be a nightmare!

And that’s what email is…

A NIGHTMARE!

But here’s the good news:

It doesn’t have to be.

But only if you know the right way to deal with email.

I’ll tell you more in my next email.

Yours in productivity,

Dan