Readers Digest has an article in their January 2008 issue titled, How to keep from being overwhelmed - Get A Grip by Ron Geraci. I like the article because it not only reinforces several of the time-saving tips that I teach it provided a couple of new ones.

The time-saving tips that I regularly recommend that Readers Digest reinforced:

1. Seek Sanctuary time each day or at a minimum each week where you turn off all forms of communication - email, phone, PDA, instant messaging… and close your door to totally focus on an important piece of work. I thought it was interesting that one college freshman mentioned in the article goes gadget free every Sunday.
2. Set more realistic expectations of your availability. You do not have to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Not even for customers.
3. Stick to a schedule. Set times when you will do personal web surfing as well as when you will get key work done. Trying to look at every email that pops up is a productivity draining distraction.

Here are some tips from Readers Digest that possibly we all should consider. My favorite is by far #1:

1. Add a statement below your email signature that says: “I answer email at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. If you need a quicker response, please call.”
2. If you catch yourself doing some unscheduled web surfing, ask yourself, “should I really be doing this now?”
3. If you feel alone even though you are communicating with people all day, could it be a signal that technology is dominating your life? Talking to someone face-to-face is often much more of a boost than sending a text message, email

Effective executives are experts at managing their time so key priorities get done. In a great week!