The Single Sentence Email Project
We all know we spend way too much time in email: word-smithing defensively so as not to offend, taking extraordinary effort to ensure we are clear, ensuring each carefully crafted bit of our message cannot be misconstrued.
I thought the best solution is to simply limit the volume of email. Talk face to face when possible. Of course, this has its own drawbacks.
Here’s another:
If you’re tired of email sucking the life out of your day, I ask you to place the following text in your email signature. It will help explain why your responses have become more brief, and perhaps encourage others follow suit:
Join the Single Sentence Email Project: http://gu.nu/w3H
Then, concentrate on learning a new habit: brevity. Respond to emails with as few words as possible. Aim for a sentence, but if just a word will do, use it. It will take practice, and some might dislike it. I argue that this is a fair trade for getting more time to work (and live) productively.
