Here's how I do it...What you will need:
Even though I'm very rarely -- almost never -- available for chit chat.....I'm almost always available for emergencies... and very urgent and important situations.
- a free Gmail account ( see gmail.com )
- a free Google Voice account ( see google.com/voice )
- an Android phone with the free Google Voice app, Gmail app, and Google Calendar app
Even though I'm very rarely -- almost never -- available for chit chat.....I'm almost always available for emergencies... and very urgent and important situations.
That is to say... ...situations that I consider urgent and important (not necessarily situations that only the other person considers urgent or important).No matter whether the message comes in through voicemail, text message, email, instant messaging, or even facebook, or twitter.... It could, potentially, be very urgent and important to me... I almost instantly reply to every measage with at least something like, "Hi. What's up?"If the message is urgent and important to me, I handle it immediately... If not, I reply with something like, "Cool. Busy now. We'll chat later. Ok? xoxo"If idle chit chat messages come in (from the same person) after that.... I simply don't reply. I use my Android phone to reply to all these types of messages instantly. I get to the bottom of what the person wants immediately... and as soon as I'm sure it's just chit chat, I tell them I can't chat... and I stop replying. I use my phone to read every new email message instantly. If the email requires a one-line reply, I reply instantly. If the email will require more time, more reading, more research, etc.... then I mark the email with a "star" in my Gmail app.... Then, the next morning when I'm at my desk, I use Gmail's new Priority Inbox feature to organize the priority.... and process all those 'starred' messages appropriately.... Either dealing with them (if it'd take less than 2 minutes each), or by adding it to my own To Do List (which I maintain in Google Docs). This is how I deal with the processing of my communications.... and why I am so effective, and accessible... to so many people.
It takes 2 seconds -- maximum -- to reply to a text message or an email with, "What's up?".
It takes the same amount of time... 2 seconds... no matter whether I do it instantly... or three days later.
If I don't respond instantly, I miss opportunities. ( like the six free tickets a friend is offering me to see Wicked on Broadway tonight! ) That's real money lost.
If I do respond instantly, decide if it's important and urgent to me or not, and only deal with it if it is.... it costs me nothing. I do text messaging and emails while I'm waiting for an elevator, while I'm walking to the men's room, while I'm waiting for anything, whenever I'm alone... any time I have a free moment.... all the time. It's time I wouldn't be doing anything else anyway.... so it's not time wasted. And it saves alot of time dealing with that stuff later, at my office, the next day, etc.
I also use Google Calendar to collaborate calendars with my closest family and co-workers. This way I can see that Ed has a meeting from 3pm to 4pm today... within seconds of him booking it... without him even telling me.... all from my phone!
I also use Google Talk for instant text messaging. It's very convenient, free for everyone, it comes in at the other person's computer and their Android phone, and if the other person isn't available to reply... it automatically converts the message into an email, so they can reply via email later. It works brilliantly!
These new technologies are amazing, and if you're not using them to their fullest.... You're losing out.
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