“Seriously? How do you NOT check your email in the morning before you get to work?”
Then I tell them I don’t check email at night either. That’s when I get “No way. I don’t believe you. What if your customers need something urgent?”
Think about it- What is the FIRST thing you do the minute you wake up? Do you grab a book and start reading? Do you turn on the TV and start watching? OR do you do what 99% of people I talk to do: Grab your phone.
What happens then? You look at email. Only to find this customer needs something ASAP (with a cute little red flag) and your boss is asking for a report before noon. Your email has completely determined the energy of your day. Your INBOX is driving your reaction and all of the “to do” proactive tasks you told yourself are on the list for today immediately go to the back burner.
Why? Why do I NOT check email after dinner or in the morning before work?
1. Focus on the Forrest, Not Just the Trees
In an article about Lindsay Van Driel’s Awake@Intel program, Melissa Schilling, a professor of management at NYU’s Stern School of Business says, “If you keep people really, really busy, what will happen is that the scope of what they can attend to will narrow down. They’ll get really focused on the next couple of days or the next few weeks or the next quota,” Schilling said. “You want them to think about the forest — you don’t want them to get so caught up in the trees that they can’t see the forest anymore.”
Taking a break from email allows us to take a step back and get in touch with the big picture. This is the only way to create room for long term strategic thoughts to flow.
2. Best Ideas and Most Creativity Happen in these Hours!
It is typically at 5:20 am on my walk through the gym doors or at 7:00am while I get ready for work when “Ah Hah!” creative moments and awesome ideas pop up out of nowhere! Because my mind is present and my thoughts are not consumed by the inbox, I am open to all possibilities. At least once a week I will call my husband after one of these idea bursts and ask, “What do you think!? What do you think!?”
3. Work to Live
Not the other way around. Your emails aren’t going anywhere. Work very hard during the day so you can enjoy the time at night with family or enjoying a yoga class, cooking a nice meal or visiting with a friend. It is a constant check-in with yourself asking, “Am I present? Am I balancing work or am I attached to my inbox?” You can’t accomplish much for a customer at 10pm. Because you have had a solid break from the email rat race, the next day you arrive refreshed and ready to focus on providing the highest level of service for your customers.
Try it! Challenge yourself for one week to NOT check email. Start in the morning. See if you can begin your day with a nice walk, a cup of tea, spending time with your family, or meditation. Wake up and begin with gratitude. Your emails will be waiting when you arrive at the office. Can you not check email before work for one week? Try turning your phone off after dinner too and see what happens.
Life is about experiments. It’s a beautiful thing to let go of control and learn how to flow, as Leo Babuta states in his article “12 Tools for Mindful Living.” This could be your BEST change yet!
Peace, Love, Sales,
Nadene
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