Productivity tip: Use AwayFind to stop checking email so often
I mentioned earlier that I'd be sharing any tips and tools I've been using to help me focus. One of the biggest discoveries I made last year is a service called AwayFind.
I used to check email obsessively throughout the day. At first it was because I didn't want to miss anything important that came in, but then I realized that even if I wasn't expecting anything super-urgent, I'd STILL regularly (as in at least a few times an hour, sometimes more often) check my email, no matter what else I was doing.
It was only after I started timing myself, seeing how long I could work before I checked email, that I had to admit I had a real problem. The action of frequent email-checking was so automatic that it happened without conscious effort, making it impossible for me to sustain focus for more than a very short time. Gah.
The brilliance of Awayfind: You can set up a list of email addresses and get alerts when mail arrives from any of them. You can even customize these alerts, to avoid getting alerted for groupmails, etc. I added agent's address, for example, as well as other important work-related contacts.
There are different pricing plans, but you can try out the Personal and Pro for 30 days for free. I ended up opting for the Pro account.
End result? I no longer feel compelled to check email so often, giving me more distraction-free time to focus.
You can check out Awayfind yourself: http://www.awayfind.com
(and no, I'm not getting any affiliate fee for this recommendation)
Do you have another productivity tool to recommend? Feel free to post below!
Monday, January 13, 2014 at 10:55 AM
Reader Comments (2)
I use it, too, and I think it's an amazing tool -- both when I'm writing or when I'm trying to enjoy some time off with my family.
Nice post!
For me, my productivity tool is a time tracking software called Time Doctor. It helps me boost my productivity by making me focus on work and avoid distractions. I have been using it for almost 3 years now and it's been nothing but a huge help especially because I work from home. It's difficult to keep myself motivated to do the job you are paid to do if there are so many distractions around.