“I don't believe in email. I'm an old-fashioned girl. I prefer calling and hanging up.”
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker
This is so frustrating! I have been trying to check my email for the past 2 hours with absolutely no luck! It appears that my inbox cannot connect with the server hosting my email. And I am about to go bonkers. You see, I have tons of work to get done today (yesterday was a holiday in the US) just to catch up with the week.
I have emails to check, emails to send, blog posts to write and more.
Today I realized that I'm an addict! And email junkie! Seldom a day goes by when I don't check email first thing when I get to work and again last thing before I leave the office for the day. In fact, since I started blogging I even open up email at home and check it! I'm addicted to my inbox!
Once I realized that I could not check email today, at least not right now, I thought, there's gotta be other things I can do besides check my email. So here I am writing a blog post about it, and hoping (praying really) that I will be reconnected soon.
It also got me thinking, just how productive can I be if I'm always online attached at the fingertips to my inbox?
After all, I have articles I can write, my magazine needs to be be proofread, bills could be paid (now there's a thought more painful than not being able to check my email), and I have lots of files to go through and clean out.
Is there a cure? Is there an Email Addicts Anonymous group I could join? And the real question is, do I really want to?
Oh, well since I am going through withdrawal I might as well get busy and start on some of those other items on my "to do list." Maybe I should take Sarah Jessica Parker's advice and use the phone!
Well, at least one of the items on my list is now done for the day :D!
Heidi
2 comments:
Heidi,
I would say that I am an addict too....somewhat. I do check my email first thing in the morning and then throughout the day. I have also been someone "stuck" to the inbox too because I have some projects that I am working on and waiting for responses from participants. I think that there are times when I am more addicted then other times, however, I do believe there are other ways to communicate. I know for me the biggest reason why I like email instead of phone calls is for record keeping...what is said is documented. However, I like the phone call because then I can hear "how" something is said which allows for better interpretation of words. So there are pros & cons to both - so I just do what I think is best. I just think that email is a part of our technology age...however, I was reading a new book I bought this weekend, "Success Principles" by Jack Canfield and he mentions in his book about the concept of "getting rid" of your cell phone & email. Well, for me---I would have no communication with most people. As I went on reading...he goes on to say, if you are bombarded with both of these these tasks - getting through email and phone messages...start outsourcing these tasks to FREE up your time so you are able to focus on your major important tasks. For me, I don't get too many of either one of these at the moment, however it is something I plan on doing if this is something that gets out of control. But then I think that brings up another question----who do you hire to do this type of personal stuff....you have to give over control of your password and information...allowing someone else to read your email and listen to your messages. Do you have enough trust in someone else to do these tasks?
Heidi,
I so understand and have found myself frustrated by this situation. Now that I work from my home I find my inbox a replacement for my morning coffee conversations at work. It becomes a 'fix' and I sorely miss it when I don't get it. I even drag my virtual water cooler around with me in the form of a blackberry.
I guess as long as we practice moderation in our addicition it will be okay. And, I suppose, remember it doesn't replace talking with the people in your home and community.
Be well.
Kristy
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