I’ve been bad at returning emails (and other similar messages) for years. I’m trying an experiment to do something about it.
From now on, I’m spending 30 minutes per day catching up on email, answering blog comments, and replying to entries. If I run out of all of those, I’ll start new email conversations with people I’ve been meaning to write to for a while, sort and post some of my huge backlog of photos, write blog entries, etc. There’s lots to keep me busy and happy.
How will I find 30 minutes per day? Easy. I’ll do it when I’m “supposed” to be working, like now, and make up the work time later. Yes, this means I might have to work an hour or two on Saturday. C’est la vie…
Wait, what? Half-an-hour?!?
Damn, I spend at least two hours every day processing mail. Sometimes, my entire work day is spent processing mail.
Personal mail. I have definitely had days at work (recently, even) where the entire day was devoted to email, but that’s work email that I’m paid to read and reply to. For personal email (and especially for replying to blog entries, etc), I have more of a problem because I don’t do it on “company time.” That’s all I’m planning on doing in the ½h per day. Actually, now I’m devoting 1h 2 or 3 times a week since I’ve found that’s easier to plan.