I stumbled across a short video of a guest lecture by Tim Ferriss at Princeton back in 2005. 

Ferriss, as you know, is the author of The 4-Hour Workweek, one of my favorite books.  (Indeed, I’ve read it twice now).

In this lecture, Tim is answering a question about output and e-mail distractions.  His answer is quite simple: limit e-mail and “input,” and focus on your output. 

At work, I’ve tried to limit my reading of and responding to e-mail, and I’ve noticed that, not only does it give me more time to focus on work, but it also gives me more time to focus on non-work related projects (like my BANS sites, this blog, and my other business ideas). 

If not for the fact that this job requires me to have a Blackberry, I don’t think I would ever have one of these things.  They are the WORST. 

So, in short, reduce (drastically) the role that e-mail plays in your life, and you will notice how quickly your productivity (both at work and in your entrepreneurial ventures) will increase.

 

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