How much time do you spend in your inbox each day? Don’t lie to me and especially not to yourself.
It’s open all day, isn’t it? The browser tab is always open, waiting for every ding and if so, there’s something you need to admit:
Your inbox is a prison.
It’s holding you captive, and it’s time for a jailbreak.
Keeping your inbox open, and responding the second an email arrives, is reactive instead of proactive.
You’re trapped. You think you are being productive but you’re not. Everything seems urgent, but it’s not. You’re simply exchanging your valuable time for everyone else’s priorities.
If your inbox is a prison, there’s a simple fix.
You need a bigger BOAT — Blocked Off Answering Time.
Instead of being at the mercy of notifications, you keep the email tab closed and only engage at specific times during the day. I personally plan three specific BOATs:
- Morning (30 Minutes): Answering emails that came in overnight and setting the day’s course
- Midday (30 Minutes): Course-correct and catch up
- End of Day (20 Minutes): A final sweep to clear the deck and establish goals for the following day
This schedule allows me to make and keep my own priorities. It allows me to minimize the draw of the inbox, and the false sense of accomplishment that comes from clearing the queue.
It’s time that you broke out of your prison. Use your own BOAT to get safely away from your inbox and safely back to your own priorities.
Rich
For more inbox strategies and systems, Pick up a copy of Autopilot: Practical Productivity for School Leaders.
