Kari’s Tip #129: The Intentional Inbox - Reclaim your Time
A Moment of Reflection
I've spent some time thinking hard about the content I share and why I share it over the last few weeks. I thought about what kind of a resource I want to be to you—what kind of energy I want to resonate and both how I want to help you but more importantly… WHY.
As I get older (more experienced and wiser?) I think about my legacy—not just with my family—but with the people I've worked with, shared content with, helped, and taught. I want to bring you REAL value—not just a tip you can get from AI or Google. I want you to know me, and know WHY I want to help you.
Choosing Deliberation Over Noise
In this chapter of my life, I want to slow down, not to do less—but to be more deliberate. I don't want to be part of the "noise." I have too much noise in my life—do you too?
There is so much information right now I think we need to all be careful about what we let in. Information used to be scarce, a limited commodity most of us tried to get as much of as we could. Now, it's about filtering out what we do and don't want to give attention to. The more limited commodity today is not information, but rather—our attention and our time.
Why I Do What I Do
And THAT is why I do what I do. I want you to have more time and more attention for other things so you aren't wasting it on repetitive information or tasks that aren't valuable to you. Time with your kids, grandkids, parents, friends, being healthy, whatever it is that you are deliberate about.
I don't want you to spend hours asking ChatGPT or googling how to do a VLOOKUP function or how to save time in Outlook. I want to teach you how to use technology to save time, I want to be your resource so you can save those hours for something else you value. I want to help you fine-tune the information coming in. I want to make you effective and productive, but also help you stop wasting time where you don't need to.
The Cost of a Distracted Inbox
This month—in February—I'm going to be sharing more about this, but today's tip is about the time you spend CHECKING your email.
Do you know what the average person spends 28% of their work week managing their inbox? If you're averaging 40 hours, that's approximately 11 hours per week. A study from Danwood Group says the average knowledge worker checks their email every 6 minutes. This creates a cycle of switching. According to Microsoft, emails, meetings, and chats consume 57% of the total time spent in Microsoft 365—effectively doubling the communication burden since 2010.
The weight of that burden is heavy, but the first step to lightening it is surprisingly simple. We have to stop the 'constant check' cycle by removing the triggers that demand our attention.
🚨 Silence the "Ding"
Kill the "Ding" Every time that little envelope or banner pops up, your brain switches gears. It takes an average of 23 minutes to get back into "deep work" flow after a distraction.
How to do it:
- Go to File > Settings > General.
- Click on Notifications.
- Either toggle the whole switch off or customize.
The Goal: You check your email when you are ready, not when it demands you.
By removing these prompts, you decide when to check your email, rather than letting your inbox dictate your focus.
⏰ Take Back Your Time!
If you’re ready to move beyond just turning off notifications and want a full system to master your workflow, I’d love to help you get there.
Join Inbox Relief Let’s reclaim your attention together."
