Sooner or later, it happens to every online entrepreneur. With most of your communications arriving via email, your inbox can quickly become an overwhelming, stressful place.
The result?
You stop opening emails you know will require a response.
You may even dread opening your email client at all.
Soon, your inbox is littered with unread, un-acted-upon emails, many with deadlines which have already passed. You kid yourself into thinking this is some kind of “to-do” list, but in reality, you’re just avoiding having to deal with it, because you simply don’t know where to start.
Talk about stressful!
And what about legitimate emails that need a response? Clients, potential clients, JV partners, and dozens of others contact you through email, and if you don’t keep a clean inbox, sooner or later something is going to slip through the cracks, and you’ll lose a valuable opportunity.
A Big Sigh of Relief
Ask anyone who’s suffered from inbox overload and gone on to embrace “inbox zero,” and they’ll tell you how freeing it can be. Suddenly, you’re no longer a slave to your email. You don’t waste time every day searching for that one email you know you need to answer but can’t find. You don’t have to ask clients to re-send information. Best of all, you stop dreading that first onslaught of emails in the morning.
You are in control.
Your Plan of Action
Before you can get your out-of-control emails into some kind of manageable system, you have to map out a plan. Will you declare an email D-Day and simply delete everything so you can start fresh? Will you block off a few hours (or days) to carefully scan and sort your current emails? Or will you use your email client’s filters to automatically file what you have?
All three methods work – but if you have thousands of emails in your inbox, you might just want to decide that anything before, say, last month is going in the trash. Let’s face it, if you haven’t answered that email by now, it’s probably no longer relevant.
If you only have a few hundred emails to get through, then using filters or a manual sort method will probably work for you.
Start with the obvious dead weight: Advertisements, junk, marketing emails you don’t care about, and email from your mailing list subscriptions can be deleted on the spot. The same can (generally) be said about email from friends and family, notifications of comments to moderate, Facebook messages, and LinkedIn connection requests. Highlight them all, and click the delete button.
Next, look for emails from current and prospective customers. Move them to a folder called “Respond To” or something similar, so they’re out of your way but still close at hand. You’ll deal with those later.
Finally, take a look at what’s left. Chances are there’s not much, and you can deal with them on an individual basis.
Once your inbox is clean (or at least greatly reduced) you can go back to that “Respond To” folder and begin answering, starting either with the most urgent messages or with the oldest. The important thing is not where you begin, but that you work through the entire folder. Do not let emails collect in this folder indefinitely. That will only move your problem from the inbox to another folder, when what you’re trying to do is resolve your stress, not hide it.
It’s easy to see why an overflowing inbox can be stressful for an online entrepreneur. If you take some time to map out your plan for dealing with the current backlog, then develop a solid system moving forward, though, you’ll be much better able to cope with it.
Master What’s Yours
[guestpost]This is a guest post by my business partner Attorney James L. Walker, Jr. This was originally a post on Facebook that was so good I thought it needed a place to reach a bigger audience. I hope you enjoy[/guestpost]
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Guest Post - James L. Walker, Esq.
I Am So On Fire Today --Just Feel like its A Big Game Today and I'm Ready to Get In The Game And Score A Winning Touchdown, or hit the go-ahead homerun or drop the winning 3 pointer. Going in early to Close A Ton of Deals and GET IT DONE!
But I Need to tell you one requirement. You have to Dominate those things before you. I'm a living witness just Master the things in front of you, on your desk, under your control, assigned to you, and meant for you and God will Do The Rest. I Was never the smartest guy or the savviest guy, or strongest guy or coolest guy or cutest guy or funniest guy, but I worked what I had in my Lane and things started to just fall in place.
Before I knew it my space became a block, then a street, then a neighborhood, then a community, then a city, then a county, then a state, then a Nation was watching me and calling from Fox to BET to CNN and clients from LA to NY to Idaho to Canada to London....and all along I'm simply just continuing to try and Master that before me with all my weaknesses, struggles, insecurities, ups and downs, good days and bad days and let my Master Do the Rest.
I realize now I couldn't stop it if I wanted to as HE already ordained it as the Author and Finisher with A Master Plan For Us! #Master Yours# (not sure who this is for and sorry for carrying on....but FIRED up early today and just wanted to share and inspire someone...let me know)!!!
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on aid versus trade – Motivational Monday
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the former finance minister of Nigeria, sums up four days of intense discussion on aid versus trade on the closing day of TEDGlobal 2007, and shares a personal story explaining her own commitment to this cause.
3 Things To Do While Waiting for An Upload
While today just has been one of those days friends. I've been sitting here waiting for one of my podcast to upload into my library account. And for some reason, today's upload seems to be incredibly an extremely long. So I thought about what do you do with this unexpected downtime in your day. If you're like me I want to always be as efficient as possible. I'm always looking for ways that I can just increase the level of what I'm doing on a daily basis.
So I spend a lot of time creating these complex schedules. Then when something like this belong dates my day I am completely flabbergasted as what to do. So I decided to create this blog as a way of what to do when you have downtime that's unexpected.
- Watch Something - Use this time to catch up on Tedx or Self-help Videos -- You can use this time to get some quick inspiration for your creativity.
- File Something -- File anything. I am sure there are things on your desk that need to be filed away - your inbox needs to be sorted or you just need to wipe off the coffee stain that has ben there for a week -- Take this time to tidy up your space.
- Write Something - Write a blog post -- Which is what I did. While waiting for my upload I turned on my Dragon Dictate and I dictated two blog posts one of which you are reading right now.
Don't let this time get you down or catch you twiddling your thumbs. Use it to your advantage - Please leave a comment below -- What would you add to the list?
Forgetting Your Ex and Moving Forward
| Phl 3:10 | that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, |
| Phl 3:11 | if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. |
| Phl 3:12 | Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. |
| Phl 3:13 | Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, |
| Phl 3:14 | I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. |
The Past
One of the hardest things to do in the Christian world in fact in the world in general is to get over your past. Like a herald that covers you. It keeps getting in the way. In fact if we all be truthful we would acknowledge that it is our past that controls our present and prevents our future.
I submit that the reason is based on the fact that the past is the foundation that has been laid for our present. The very steps that I stand on are based and rooted in my past.
My son has been studying psychology for that few weeks. One of the fundamental principles. Is that our behavior in most cases is a by-product of our past.In other words we act the way we act because of something that has happened in our past. We interpret our situations based on the way we have been taught by our past to see things. For most of us it is much easier to comprehend things once they have been done and now are a part of our past.
The duality of your past is a jaded space. In one arena that trauma of bad things have jaded you in such a way that it is hard to move on. I understand the hurt inflicted by your parents, the rape you endured, the betrayal of your friends have inflicted a scar that by most accounts will never be repaired. I am not discounting those facts, but I also offer another piece to the puzzle.
The simply fact that you have made it through with a little of your mind and sense and you are not dead., already points to the awesomeness of the grace of God that controls your future. Let me break it down. my past dictates that what has happened to me is traumatic. and by all accounts it was meant to destroy. But somewhere during the transition from past to present there I find the grace of God.
Dorinda Clark Cole wrote a song that simply states.
When I look back over my life
and I see all the things God's done for me;
been through dangers, heartache, and trouble,
I thank the Lord, He rescued me.
I could have been dead and gone,
but the Lord he spared my life.
Now I can say, that I'm still here
and it's by the grace of God.
So you see very clearly that the transition from the past to the present is firmly built on the grace of God.
In our story we find that Paul is having a conversation with the Philippians. PAUL SPEAKS OF HIS PERSONAL LIFE BEFORE MEETING JESUS CHRIST. HE WAS CARRYING AROUND A LOT OF EXTRA BAGGAGE, THINGS THAT HE WAS ONCE PROUD OF, BUT ONCE COMING TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS CHRIST WAS HAPPY TO LET THEM GO.
- Acknowledge those things in your past -
A. There is a certain value in looking back.
1. One is to see what God has done. The children of Israel were constantly being reminded of how God delivered their fathers from the bondage of Egypt. This was the purpose of the Passover feast.
a. Knowing what God has done in the past through His mighty power, gives me confidence to know that He is the same, and He is able to deliver today.
2. The second value in looking back is to show me how far I have slipped away from Him.
a. In Hebrews we are exhorted to take the more earnest heed to the things that we have heard, lest at any time we should drift away.
b. The process of backsliding is often very slow and imperceptible, you do not realize how far you have drifted until you look back and realize that you cannot even see the dock any longer.
c. To the church of Ephesus Jesus said, "I have this against you in that you have left your first love. Remember from whence you have fallen, and repent."
3. The third value is you can now - Face your demons and mistakes. Acknowledge them, confront them, and work them out.
C. Deal - there is a certain feeling for being able to overcome the obstacles that have plagued your life for so long. I had a teacher that etched on the blackboard at school the words DEAL. It was simple but powerful. DEAL. Whatever issues you have. Be they musical, life, or love. DEAL WITH IT. I am not saying it to be harsh. but until you face your past - put whatever pieces you need to put in place -it will be hard to get into your present. - Forget those things which are behind.
We have had great discussion on how priceless the past can be for us. There are many quotations. Many people say I forgive you but I won't forget" Those that forget the past are doomed to relive it. and even the Bible is quoted ""
a. the one thing you must understand in this scripture is that forget doesn't mean - don't remember what has happened. In this scripture the greek word for forget is epilanthanomai (e-pē-län-thä'-no-mī) which roughly translated means not giving a significance to.
b. In other words. I acknowledge that all of things have happened to me. but I have learned from them and here is the key. i am not going to give it significance to it in my life. I am no longer let the past cloud my decision making process. I am not longer going to allow the past to dictate my feelings.
c. Another meaning of forgetful in this scripture - is to give it over to oblivion ie. to be uncared for. I am no longer going to care for the past. I am no longer going to put energy into keeping my past alive. Baby it is time to Forgive - - Press Forward.
Although my past is important it is not as important as my future. In the past we have witnessed God Grace In the presence we see God's Goodness and Mercy. in the future we expect and rely on God's Promise. In pressing I realize that my past is just that my past. When you are in a car and you pass and object - you may have a recollection of it but you have passed it. Watch - I know it was there because i saw it. I lived it, I was there. but it is not happening now because I have passed it.
b. No one can go forward looking backwards. --- if you are pressing going forward - you don't have time or can't afford to look back. because if you you just might stumble.
c. One of the things I hated most about scary movies is that inevitably there would be a scene where a young lady would be running from the monster - at some point they would look over there shoulder to see where the monster was. at that time they would stumble and fall and be caught. What I am saying to you is your past is a monster that has been chasing you for most of your life. In fact is will always chase you. but if you look back and dwell on it - you will inevitably find yourself always falling and being drug back to the place of your monster.
d. in this case your best bet is to continually press forward
CLOSING
2Chronicles 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
One day a caterpillar smelled the winter approaching he moved on to a branch. prickers, predators, and the elements stood in his way but he press forward. As he reached the top of his destination he hung himself upside down. and began to wrap himself in a caccoon. As the the storms of winter beat on him he remained safe because of the cocoon. But one day the spring arrived and the caterpillar began emerge, but this time when he emerged he had been transformed in to a new creature. A beautiful butterfly.
You were like that caterpillar - in your past you had to fight your way up the branches and withstand the predators. But when you met Jesus he wrapped you in his arms like a cocoon and because of this you were able to withstand the storms of the winter. and when he had finished with you in that stage you emerged a new creature. Where you one had just a body and no arms you now have wings.
If you look at the difference between the caterpillar they are a lot of similarities and differences. The body is the same. I would imagine the brain and internal organs are the same. But where there were just some legs. There are now wings. More importantly - where the caterpillar could only walk. The butterfly can fly over. With Jesus your past is now on the ground and you can fly over it.