Never Check E-Mail In The Morning
Day 1 Upon cracking Julie Morgenstern's book, I learn that she has consulted for Microsoft and Ikea, written five other self-help tomes, and appeared on Oprah. I become afraid that there will be chapters on "Scheduling Hugs" and "Filing Your Crying." This is because I am a jerk sometimes.
Day 2 Morgenstern breaks life into nine skill sets, or "competencies," all pointed toward finishing tasks with time left for recreation. Sweet.
Day 3 The book has a Choose Your Own Adventure vibe, where you can jump around to any area you want to improve. I read the whole thing. Most important, it turns out, is avoiding distractions. I have already failed by reading chapters that don't apply to me. The other usual distracters include perfectionism, procrastination, interruptions, and meetings. And email. Morgenstern calls these time-eaters "nibblers." Adorable!
Day 4 I wake up, and before I even think about it, I am checking my email. Crap.
Day 5 Same problem. Double crap.