Solving the email-while-on-vacation problem

To avoid inbox shock when returning from vacation, a lot of us check email constantly while on vacation. It's a pretty awful way to live if you think about it.

Around the 10:30 mark of his TEDxNashville talk, "My Digital Stamp," Erik Qualman solves this problem:

When your vacation starts, set your email's vacation auto-responder to say:

Thank you for your email. This mailbox is temporarily full. If your email is important please resend it on [Return Date].

When you return, select all the emails you received while on vacation.

Delete.

 

Comment

Five Best Coffee Makers

The Moka Pot, also known as the Moka Espresso or the Moka Elite, were invented in the early 1930s and have been making killer coffee ever since. It's incredibly popular in Europe and Central and South America, and while it's not as popular in the United States, a few of us here at Lifehacker love them, even if they're not the easiest coffee makers to find in your local department store (although they are $25 at Amazon, so there's that). I've seen them in thrift stores, old and well-loved models available for a few bucks, with people passing by not knowing what they're seeing.

 

Comment

Warren Buffett on time management | GTD Times

“You’ve gotta keep control of your time,” Buffett says, “and you can’t unless you say no. You can’t let people set your agenda in life.”

Fast Company has an article on Why Productive People Have Empty Schedules. Buffett and other leaders emphasize the importance of saying “no” in taking control of your schedule.

GTD emphasizes the value of having a complete and current inventory of your commitments.  That way you’ll know what you can say yes to, and when saying no is more productive.

 

Comment