What daily work task is one of the biggest drains on productivity?

Believe it or not, productivity experts agree that the daily first task of checking emails is the worst offender.

It has been estimated that 66% of those surveyed by Forbes magazine said checking emails was the first thing they did in the morning.

But, argue the productivity experts, this habit leaves you open to other people dictating your tasks for the day rather pursuing your own goals and objectives.

Not only this but it is a distraction at the time of day when you are at your freshest, most focused and most alert.

Another failing is writing emails that are far too long, it is argued. The shorter your message the more likely it is to be read first by the recipient.

So how can you change your email habits and improve your productivity?

Here are some of the experts’ suggestions:

  • Stop using email for back-and-forth conversations between groups
  • Pick up the phone whenever possible.
  • Use email filters to organize your inbox.
  • Limit your inbox-checking to a certain amount of time, preferably toward the end of the day.

It is worth a try.  The results may surprise you.