This document discusses strategies for gaining control over email use and reducing the time spent on email. It notes that the average person spends over 63% of their work days and over 1200 hours per year on email. The document advocates developing a clear purpose and strategy for email use focused on principles rather than just practices. It provides examples of strategic approaches like turning off notifications, periodically checking email instead of having it on mobile devices, and responding within 24 hours. The overall message is that people should pursue reducing email's negative impacts and distractions in order to have more mental bandwidth and pursue a preferred future.

1. Email Bankruptcy

2. Our Focus Today:
•The “Why” of email
•Principles that precede practices
•Root cause of symptoms in email
•Pursue a better future!

4. Average Emails/Workday 100
Average Minutes/Email 3
# of Workdays/Year 240
Total Minutes Spent/Year on Email 72000
Hours Spent/Year on Email 1200
Days Spent/Year on Email (based on 8 hours) 150
Percentage of work days spent on email 63%
The truth about email

5. Email.
Advantage?

6. Email.
Advantage?
Advantages
•Efficient
•Fast
•Connectivity
•Productivity
•Written record
•Easy to share
•Other…
Disadvantages
•Distraction
•Interruption
•Volume increasing
•Reduce quality of
our work
•Harm to
relationships & self
•Other…
Does your overall use of email
produce a net benefit or a net loss?

8. “The ultimate barrier to success is a shortage of
mental “bandwidth,” or the ability to focus on a task
in the moment.” ~Sendhil Mullainathan

9. How’s your bandwidth?

10. Galatians
5:22-23

11. Mark
12:28-34

12. Visitors?
Calls?

13. Principles
Transfer?

14. Email.
Strategy!

15. Developing the “Why” for email
๏Purpose precedes planning
๏Define success for the proper
and appropriate use of email
๏Consider a “Clean Slate”
perspective
๏Consider declaring “Email
Bankruptcy.” (Chapter 11)
๏If you were to start over with
email, how would you design it?
WHY
HOW

16. Top Button
Strategy.

17. ๏Notifications off
๏Periodically checked
๏Email NOT on mobile phone
๏Respond in 24 hours or less
๏Unsubscribe periodically
๏Inbox to ZERO, once per day
My Progress…

18. Principles to Consider…
๏Don’t let obligation drive your behavior
๏Avoid “victim mentality”
๏Apply parallel principles to email
๏Treat root causes, rather than symptoms
๏Design strategy from a “Clean Slate” perspective
๏Build expectations among those you email
๏Be willing to be different to pursue your Preferred Future.
๏Pursue the abundant life God has for you.

19. Email.
Action.

20. Thank you.