How to Think Like a Millionaire One Step At A Time: Time Management and The Art of Managing E-Mail Overload

The single most common trait behind successful people ---whether millionaires, doctors, lawyers, businessmen-- is an extraordinary gift for time management.

In this highly complex, technical, electronic world we now share, we can see traits of time management in something as simple as e-mail.

If you apply these skills--or this patterned approach of LOCKS AND KEYS-- to all your challenges, then you are one step closer to operating just like the very best in their given fields.

So then--how do successful people keep from drowning in a sea of e-mails?

Fifth, create a "FIRST THING" folder.

THE LOCK: You aren't able to respond to all your e-mail messages by the end of the day.

THE KEY: Put the unanswered e-mails in a "First Thing" folder, and reply to those e-mails the first thing in the morning.

If you're successful---and by that I mean someone who has risen to the top in fields like medicine, law, the arts, or even in business with companies like Coca Cola, Microsoft, IBM, GE, Intel, Nokia, Disney, McDonald's, Toyota or Marlboro to name a few, then, more often than not, you have mastered time management skills similar to those out-lined here.

No task is too small to manage when you realize that the efficient use of time -- equals money and success.

Third, use PREFABRICATED RESPONSES.

THE LOCK: Sometimes you get burdened with e-mails of common inquiry, such as to how someone can get an internship, job, or position at your company.

THE KEY: Create prefabricated responses or documents so that when such an inquiry is made, you have an answer, ready at your finger-tips.

Fourth, this step involves CLOSING your e-mail when doing work that requires close attention.

THE LOCK: You are working on a project, requiring your full attention, when suddenly there is a signal that you've just received an e-mail.

THE KEY: Close your e-mail program as soon as you begin to undertake the task. When finished, you can read the e-mail with a fresh mind, one ready for decisive action.

First, more often than not, they employ the TOUCH method.

THE LOCK: You get an e-mail and, often, you look at it once or twice or several times, or you even revisit the e-mail in the next several days or weeks before responding. Over time, because of such twiddling, you get an e-mail overload.

THE KEY: Successful people Commit to TOUCHING the e-mail only once. When you open a message decide whether to respond, forward it to someone else, or decide not to answer it. But most importantly, DO NOT put off action on it until later.

Second, this concerns e-mails about MEETINGS.

THE LOCK: Meetings--or conference calls--with groups of people can generate loads of back-and-forth e-mail traffic.

THE KEY: Many successful people use Doodle (www.doodle.com) to solve this problem. Doodle is a FREE tool which allows you to suggest set times for meetings--and allows parties to the meeting to vote on which times work best for them.

Difficulty: Easy