Get Terry to speak for and fire up your organization!
He can be reached at:

Achievement Systems, Inc.
407-363-0505
terry@terrybrock.com
http://www.terrybrock.com
7550 Hinson St. #15-C
Orlando, FL 32819
USA

Ouch! Are you overwhelmed with too many obligations in today’s high-intensity information world? We have so much to read and learn that sometimes it seems impossible to keep up, let alone get ahead. Yet, by embracing a few techniques and principles you can craft and mold your life into what you want it to be.

Today we are swamped with e-mail. I’m not talking about junk or spam. We can deal with that through all the myriad tools available for blocking. In fact, the problem that many have experienced is that the spam-blocking software prevents legitimate e-mail from getting through way too often.

But how can you digest all the good e-mail, Ezines and other information that you want to receive? It is like getting 10-20 really good magazines and newspapers that you want to read each day. We just don’t have time to digest it all. Then with the wonderful abundance of audio and video learning available it creates even more demands on our time.

Yet we realize that we can’t ignore what is going on and stick our heads in the sand.

Well, here are some suggestions to help you streamline your life and achieve the results you want in today’s information-way-overloaded world.

1. Start By Clearly Defining What Is A Priority For You. This is a critical principle for living. You can’t do it all. There is more than enough there. You have to be very selective in living. Prioritize the functions and activities that are important and critical for you and look for these options.
2. Develop Filters For Living. This means that you have to say a firm, but polite “No thank you!” for many good activities. Focus on the A and A+ activities. It is easy to turn down the D and F activities. However, the B and B+ activities are the tempting morsels. Discipline, fellow traveler!
3. Use Web Mail, Not Just Outlook. Let your web mail be your first check of your e-mail. I get several Ezines that come through each day. This might seem like an overload, but I have them automatically and neatly organized into a “Must Read” folder on my web mail so I can read them when it is convenient for me. I also automatically delete known junk mail. I focus my reading on e-mail that is from known contacts, potential clients and the “most important” stack of e-mail. The junk is eliminated without even reading it. This is all before it even reaches Outlook. Virus threats are greatly reduced this way. Time is saved. Sounds like a good combination to me!
4. Use Outlook Filters as Second-Level Filtering. Once my e-mail has gone through my web mail, I can send important items to Microsoft Outlook for further processing. Just yesterday I showed a client how to set up folders in Outlook so that important e-mail would go into pre-designated folders like “Family,” “Terry Brock” (so she would process my e-mail properly), “Important Reading,” and other categories. Now the e-mail automatically falls into the right “buckets” and she has more control over her life and less clutter. Set up the Outlook Rules (check Outlook Help about this) and get your life organized.
5. Read the “Must Read” First. It is tempting to start your day reading the news. Don’t waste your valuable time reading about what the politicians are doing, the latest Hollywood couple breaking up (who cares, really?) or what the news media is currently hot and bothered about! Start by reading those things that are important to your career growth and life enhancement (usually not politics and the crisis of the moment). Yes, you need to be aware of what is going on but this is a B or C priority. Focus first on your A and A+ categories. Most “hot” stories today won’t matter in a week and certainly not in a year or two. Focus on reading quality books and magazines that nurture your personal learning process. This goes back to option #1 (above). Focus on priorities for your life. I’m sure the news people can handle all that is happening in their world. You focus on what is important for yours.
6. Be Open To New Ideas. After you filter everything to read those things that are important allow time to see new ideas that you didn’t know about. Once you’ve addressed your priorities you can allow some time for other possibilities. Remember, that these new possibilities have to be filtered through your personal priorities. Today’s world is ruled by the continually educated person. Constantly learn and never stop going to “school.” Create your own course materials and live life your way, according to your priorities. Be open to new books, articles, ideas and thoughts. This is what diversity is all about.

Using these techniques can help with not only processing e-mail but gaining control of your life and what is important to you.

By the way, if you’re shopping for a specific item and want to save time and money, look into two new price-shopping services on the Net. Check out www.shopzilla.com and www.nexttag.com for the best prices anywhere on the Net on merchandise and even services (with nexttag.com). Both are excellent sources for locating the best price at the moment for a given item. This tip alone can save you thousands of dollars each year and the best part is that it is free. If you’d like to see a free video on how to best use these and other services like www.pricegrabber.com to find the best prices, drop me an e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com and I’ll send you a free link to watch a video on them in action.

Terry Brock is a marketing coach who helps business owners market more effectively leveraging technology.  He shows busy professionals how to squeeze more out of their busy days using the right rules and tools.  He can be reached at 407-363-0505, by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.

Copyright © 2005, Terry Brock, All Rights Reserved Internationally. No portion may be reprinted or used in any way without prior written permission. Permission granted to Biz Journals to use in regular publications.