E & Voice Mail Overload

Have you ever felt like you were on E-mail and Voice Mail overload? All these messages coming are coming at you and you really have no time to address them because of your schedule, family, and other responsibilities. Church planters often have this challenge, especially those guys who are bi-vocational as they are planting a church. So, what is the answer? How do you address the constant influx of those E and V mails that are always coming in? Try, scheduling a time of day that you will respond to these messages. Set aside a specific time for addressing e-mails, and a specific time for answering and responding to voice mail calls. For example; try using a half hour either in the morning or evening to answer your e-mails. . . use your commuting time to respond to voice mails. Then, let those around you know that this is what you do, communicate your schedule to those who are wanting your time to respond to them. There is nothing worse than trying to work on a sermon or bible study only to have a e-mail message pop-up or your cell phone ring as your contemplating what God is wanting you to share with people. Guard your time, lay out a specific time each day that you will reply to those who are trying to get a hold of you. We are told that good electronic etiquette is responding within 24 hours to those who have contacted you. I think it's only fair that those who are trying to contact you should respect the parameters you've established for answering their inquiries. So, set those parameters up, and see if this will eliminate the stress of always feeling like you have to return that call and answer that e-mail right away. I'm sure if you do you, your wife and family will be glad that you did!