Revelation
Well, Friday afternoon again. This week I'm not quite so dull as last. Not that I'm sharp, mind you--just not so dull.
The revelation. My usual daily routine is to come into the office, turn on the computer, check my email and then get to work. Throughout all hours of the day, the little email alert sounds, and I stop what I'm doing to check and see what the incoming email is. I'm surprised I've taken this long--we're talking years--to realize what a disruption the email portion of this routine is.
This realization--my revelation--came yesterday morning. I had a handful of papers to grade and needed to have them finished by classtime at 9:45. I came into the office as usual but instead of sitting down and turning on the computer first, I sat down and began grading papers. I easily finished and felt as if I'd had some good teaching moments as I commented on my students' drafts. That's when I realized that I hadn't been interrupted--or hadn't interrupted myself--with attending to email.
Our revelations are just so much useless information unless we act on them in some way. So, in this small but significant instance, I've decided to try and avoid email--actually schedule it out of my life--except for specific times, probably and hour or two each afternoon. (If something is really pressing, folks are invited to call me. If I'm not too busy, I might even answer.) My hope is that this will allow me to focus in productive ways on my work--my writing, reading, grading, administrating, preparing for class and so on.
We'll see if this revelation brings with it reformation and rejuvenat--Hang on a sec . . .
[please wait]
[please wait]
[please w--]
Okay, I'm back. I just had to take care of an email that came in.
. . . reformation and rejuvenation.
The revelation. My usual daily routine is to come into the office, turn on the computer, check my email and then get to work. Throughout all hours of the day, the little email alert sounds, and I stop what I'm doing to check and see what the incoming email is. I'm surprised I've taken this long--we're talking years--to realize what a disruption the email portion of this routine is.
This realization--my revelation--came yesterday morning. I had a handful of papers to grade and needed to have them finished by classtime at 9:45. I came into the office as usual but instead of sitting down and turning on the computer first, I sat down and began grading papers. I easily finished and felt as if I'd had some good teaching moments as I commented on my students' drafts. That's when I realized that I hadn't been interrupted--or hadn't interrupted myself--with attending to email.
Our revelations are just so much useless information unless we act on them in some way. So, in this small but significant instance, I've decided to try and avoid email--actually schedule it out of my life--except for specific times, probably and hour or two each afternoon. (If something is really pressing, folks are invited to call me. If I'm not too busy, I might even answer.) My hope is that this will allow me to focus in productive ways on my work--my writing, reading, grading, administrating, preparing for class and so on.
We'll see if this revelation brings with it reformation and rejuvenat--Hang on a sec . . .
[please wait]
[please wait]
[please w--]
Okay, I'm back. I just had to take care of an email that came in.
. . . reformation and rejuvenation.
posted by mac | 11:07 AM
4 Comments:
I thought you would have had that revelation when you were in the music business! Except they only checked their messages once a week and still never replied or called back.
Gotta go...an email just came in.
Hi Michael,
In a few weeks you must let us know how going back to the 20th century is working for you! LOL
Dennis
So sad indeed..the only way we communicate at work is by E-mail. My desk is just a few feet from my boss, and our communication is via E-mail. We never speak...
This is wrong, VERY wrong..
exactly why I have called ID - so I can pick and choose which calls to answer. I believe that we have a right to be incharge of our own time so that we can do what we want and need to do!!!!
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