No E-mail Until Lunchtime

No E-mail until Lunchtime

Interruptions interrupt intentionality. I find that my most productive times of the day are in the early mornings. I am more eager to pray, more eager to exercise, and more eager to get the most important tasks done when I focus on those things before anything else. I am striving to live by the rule to tackle the biggest and hardest things first. As a result, I am learning to wait on checking e-mail until lunchtime.

E-mail beckons, doesn’t it? It screams, “Check me! Read me! Reply to me!” It has become an all-access, all-hours-of-the-day interruption to my work instead of being a great tool for my work. Yet it is a necessary part of my work, so I must check it, send it, and reply to it.

Whether it is by e-mail, fantasy football, or Facebook, we are more distracted in our day-to-day lives than we have ever been. Being a disciplined, productive employee involves my willingness to look at every area of my day and ask, “How can I do it better? Is there a practice that will bring me greater focus, create greater reliability, and generate greater outcomes?” I have concluded that for me, being disciplined, even in my e-mail usage, will make a big difference.

When it comes to your work, think about working as unto the Lord. Psalm 128:1-2 declares,

How joyful are those who fear the LORD—

all who follow his ways!

From the book