"Inbox Zero" Update

I know you've just been DYING to hear if I've made progress on this task. I'm happy to say that I have -- my work inbox is down around 50 or 60 messages, which is significant. One of the key messages was not to let email notification run one's life. I'm definitely guilty of that -- if that little envelope appears in my task tray, I click right over to see what's going on. Sometimes it's important, but most of the time, by far, the email would not suffer for resting 30 or 60 minutes. (Sometimes, problems will resolve themselves in that time!) I'm making an effort to stay "on task" longer, and I can definitely see benefit from that if I can make it a habit.

Less email-related but still work-productivity related, I laid down the law at work about proofreading. All documents must come to me and must leave 24 hours for turnaround time. I'm so sick of getting something handed to me that the author expects proofread and approved while they stand in my office. I'm taking back my day -- minute by minute, but I'm doing it!