New Year's Resolution: Taming the E-mail Beast

It's that time of year when many of us look ahead and wonder what we can do to make the next year a better one. I woke up yesterday morning to a story on NPR on an issue that business-consulting firm, Basex, terms the "Problem of the Year: Information Overload". Actually, I think this is the Problem of the Millenium. Sometimes I open my e-mail program feeling like a lion tamer at the circus - whip and chair in hand.

While it seems like stating the obvious, that we're all feeling inundated, and often times frustrated, with e-mail, what I didn't realize is how our Pavlovian response to "you've got mail!" diminishes our productivity and efficiency. Apparently to the tune of $650 billion to our national economy in 2006.

But all is not lost. The top two tips I came away with were these:

• Turn any auditory reminder of e-mail off, and try to check it only every hour.
• Use the letters "NRN" in the subject line, indicated "no reply needed," and "NTR" for "no thanks required". I suppose what should be added to that is to resist the urge to send any "me, too" replies to messages. Not that the world needs any more acronyms (just ask anyone working in the aerospace industry), but these two seem like a good idea to me.

In researching this subject a little further, I found an interesting blog called Taming Email, the goal of which is helping you empty your inbox. Imagine that . . . an empty inbox. One can always dream.

So, happy new year, and good luck with those resolutions! Maybe by this time next year I can retire the whip and chair.