“I Email, Twitter and Blog…therefore I am.”
-Brian Sullivan

What is the first thing you do in the morning when you get in the office…or kitchen for that matter? Do you kiss your computer even before you kiss your spouse, kids or dog? To prevent communications technology from ruling or even ruining your life, do the following.

1)    Schedule email time- When in the office, only check email at specific times…for instance 10:00 and 2:00 pm. Then put an autorespond message telling others your email schedule. Checking email every five minutes can divert you from focusing on your most important objectives that day. (Time Savings 45 minutes each day)

2)    Honor the Email Sabbath- Pick at least one day during the weekend to go email free. You will get several minutes back that can be spent on better things…like cleaning the garage! (Time Savings 1 hour)

3)    Don’t Bring Facebook or Cell Phone to Dinner. Instead, talk to the face in front of you, and then get reacquainted with that little book on the table called a menu.  (Time Savings- 2 Hours of Apologizing)

By following these tips, you can get back 7 or more hours each week, which accounts to 15 days a year! That’s two full weeks of bonus time that can be spent prospecting for new customers, reading that recommended business book, or just hanging out with your #1 customers…your family and friends.