How To Be Underwhelmed

People who find themselves constantly buried under a mountain of work are the same ones who experience a tremendous amount of daily stress. See if you or someone you know agrees to one or more of the following statements:

• I try to accomplish too much.
• I do not delegate.
• I procrastinate.
• I allow too many interruptions.

Being constantly overwhelmed is not only counter-productive; it's unhealthy. It is also a good indication that you are ready for a shift in your mind-set. You can easily make this shift by reassessing your current responsibilities and actually reassigning the ones that you can. And start using your Planning Guidelines, see page (put page number here) for more information about how to plan. Check out our comprehensive book for more time and stress management techniques if you want to set up a system to bring back the time and joy in your life. Before you start goal setting tomorrow, remember, to enjoy the rest of today.

Time Management Tips for Effective Email and Voicemail

You'll learn how to effectively manage your time by managing your email and voicemail in this article. Try these eight time management tips to keep your electronic email and voicemail tools under control. You'll find yourself spending less time reacting to messages and more time focused on more important activities.

Manage your E-mail

1. Check e-mail only three times per day, and actually schedule those times in your planner.
2. Reply to messages you receive only when necessary.
3. Send a brief response to confirm when you receive an e-mail message.
4. Have your name removed from "information only" distribution lists.
5. When writing e-mail be sure to answer who, what, when and where in the first paragraph.
6. Keep all e-mail messages short and limit them to only one screen.
7. Create and use e-mail subject folders to hold your incoming and sent messages. This makes it easier to retrieve information based on specific topics.
8. Try to keep your business e-mail strictly business-focused and use your personal account for personal correspondence.

Voice mail is the easiest way to reach some people. You can leave messages at work, at home, on cell phones and just about anywhere you can imagine. But it's important to keep your voice mail usage to a minimum or you'll be talking and listening instead of focusing on what needs to be accomplished.

Manage your Voice-Mail

Leave brief messages. Remember to state the purpose of your call so the recipient can call back prepared.

1. Encourage people to leave voice mail messages that are no longer than one minute.
2. Schedule time each day to return calls.
3. Use voice mail to answer your phone when you need to concentrate on the task at hand.
4. Check your voice mail at least three times a day, and try to return messages within 24 hours.
5. Use your voice mail greeting to inform callers of your schedule and availability.

Always perform three actions regarding your name and phone number: Leave it, say it slowly, and repeat it.

Leverage Your Mind! Use It for Thinking Not Remembering

Problem! There is not only more to do these days but more to remember. When your mind is cluttered with things you are trying to remember it’s not as free to focus on vital work activities.

Solution! Pick a time management tool that works best for you (either paper or electronic). Then be meticulous about entering all appointments, dates, deadlines, and important information. Always carry it with you and let the tool do your remembering for you. Freeing your mind this way should help you increase your focus and reduce stress.

This is one of 52 tips found the book Forget The 7 Habits and Break All The Rules.