Yeah for Yahoo! groups! Doesn't everyone use them? How did we get along without them? Friends, family, social groups, business groups, online classes, promotion, blogs, announcements--it's so easy. Just sit at your computer and.....
Wait a minute!! Hours have passed. My back is screaming. My legs are stiff. My eyes are burning. My head feels as tight as a drum. And, who is beating on it?
How many of you have ever had this experience? Yes I have my groups set for daily digest delivery to my inbox. But still, when I open my email and see from 64 to 104 messages, I feel panic. I have to wade through them. I have to figure out which ones are priority, which ones can wait until later, which ones require an answer, which ones need to be saved for future reference, or which ones can be deleted immediately.
And, then there are the social networks; MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, Shoutlife, etc. More emails telling us we have a new friend, bulletins, announcements, invitations to events. Fun, yes. Time consuming, absolutely. But, can I make myself ignore them? Of course not! These people are my "friends," my writing associates, and hopefully my readers.
I'm currently taking an online class with OCC/RWA. The format is great, user friendly, and a wonderful way to learn. But, where are the emails? Why can't I find them? What assignments do I have to do? Oh....they're lost in the sea of other group messages coming in.
And, of course, there's the all time favorite jokes that come in from friends and family. I'll have to confess I look for these emails first. After all, a good laugh in the morning can help you get through the rest of the day. Keep them coming! (:
You see, I ask for what I get. I encourage emails. I love the excitement generated by contact with others outside of my writing area here at home. Because we all know that writing is such a solitary endeavor that we can become lost in our character's stories for hours.
But, still--HELP! How do you other authors handle this? How do you manage to keep up your online responsibilities and get your writing done at the same time? Yes, I've set my goals for 2008, but how do I keep on track with all of these emails to get through?
Okay, I need a time manager. My husband, Bob. As a salesman, he's great at keeping on track and reaching his goals. I'll ask him for help--just as soon as I finish going through all of these emails.
2 comments:
I have the same problem. I never log on first thing in the morning, otherwise I'd waste hours before getting anything accomplished.
In fact, I don't even turn on my computer until after my morning workout.
Then when I do log on--just to check mail--if I find a big pile of mail waiting, I go through looking for important mail, but sometimes I actually miss a few in the deluge.
I try to limit my email time, but it isn't easy. I try to check email during scheduled time during the day, but sometimes I cheat and look when I'm not supposed to.
I have to evolve some kind of plan to deal with it, because I can't just ignore it. Like you said, it's networking and important to my career path.
You're exactly right. We have to do it, but need to monitor the time we spend. Thanks for the comment!
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