Time is something that none of us have, yet somehow we feel constantly obliged to respond to an email the minute it is sent. Our inboxes turn into our lives, and if we don’t respond right away, they’ll get lost in the ether. There’s the 24-hour rule, where you have to get to all of your emails within a day, but are there exceptions?

You may think that responding right away gives you a competitive edge. It could mean you are always on top of everything and you don’t let anything go by unnoticed or unacknowledged. This is great, but there are a few problems that can arise based on this philosophy.

The sender could think your task took zero effort.

Even if it did, valuable work is recognized by the time it takes to complete it. If someone wrote a book in one day, you’d have a hard time believing it was any good. And if it was, well, you have us fooled.

You could make an (embarrassing) mistake.

We all know that rushing to get things done makes us more vulnerable to mistakes. We’re not just talking typos, but what happens if you accidentally send a message to the wrong person with confidential information in it? What happens if you’re badmouthing your coworker and hit “send” instead of “delete”?

You could come up with a better answer if you wait.

For emails that require thought, you should milk it within reason. If you’re asked for an opinion or recommendation, putting a lot of time into it will make the requester think that you’ve really taken the task seriously. If you whip off a dinner recommendation in five seconds, you may come up with a better place twelve minutes later.

Here’s how to combat the email immediacy issue.

Give an estimated delivery date.

You don’t have to have projects done within the day that they are assigned. Respond that you will get it done by this date. Then flag it to put in your Priority file.

Give yourself follow-up reminders.

If you’re thinking about how to respond to an email but are wrapped up in another task, mark it as unread and enter a follow-up reminder on your calendar.

Send “I’m still thinking about it” emails in the interim.

Without going overboard, if you’re still thinking about an issue and are worrying that the sender thinks you’ve completely dropped the ball, send a courtesy email that says you’re still thinking and you’re nearly finished. Remind them that the time you take to formulate a response is valuable. That’s what they’re paying you for.

Having your inbox up all the time can distract you from getting your other tasks done. So deal with email at a few specific points throughout the day.

It’s not an emergency. It’s just email. Take your time.

string(2877) "
Time is something that none of us have, yet somehow we feel constantly obliged to respond to an email the minute it is sent. Our inboxes turn into our lives, and if we don't respond right away, they'll get lost in the ether. There's the 24-hour rule, where you have to get to all of your emails within a day, but are there exceptions?
You may think that responding right away gives you a competitive edge. It could mean you are always on top of everything and you don't let anything go by unnoticed or unacknowledged. This is great, but there are a few problems that can arise based on this philosophy. 
The sender could think your task took zero effort.
Even if it did, valuable work is recognized by the time it takes to complete it. If someone wrote a book in one day, you'd have a hard time believing it was any good. And if it was, well, you have us fooled. 
You could make an (embarrassing) mistake.
We all know that rushing to get things done makes us more vulnerable to mistakes. We're not just talking typos, but what happens if you accidentally send a message to the wrong person with confidential information in it? What happens if you're badmouthing your coworker and hit "send" instead of "delete"?
You could come up with a better answer if you wait.
For emails that require thought, you should milk it within reason. If you're asked for an opinion or recommendation, putting a lot of time into it will make the requester think that you've really taken the task seriously. If you whip off a dinner recommendation in five seconds, you may come up with a better place twelve minutes later. 
Here's how to combat the email immediacy issue.
Give an estimated delivery date. 
You don't have to have projects done within the day that they are assigned. Respond that you will get it done by this date. Then flag it to put in your Priority file. 
Give yourself follow-up reminders.
If you're thinking about how to respond to an email but are wrapped up in another task, mark it as unread and enter a follow-up reminder on your calendar.
Send "I'm still thinking about it" emails in the interim.
Without going overboard, if you're still thinking about an issue and are worrying that the sender thinks you've completely dropped the ball, send a courtesy email that says you're still thinking and you're nearly finished. Remind them that the time you take to formulate a response is valuable. That's what they're paying you for.
Having your inbox up all the time can distract you from getting your other tasks done. So deal with email at a few specific points throughout the day. 
 It's not an emergency. It's just email. Take your time. 
"

Let’s get down to the nitty gritty when it comes to paying off your debt early. Debt can accumulate in many ways, be it credit card debt, student loans, gym memberships, car loans, mortgages, or medical bills.  When you consider all the debt that’s piled up over time, it can become invasive and extremely overwhelming.

If your business offers corporate credit cards or expense accounts to employees, there’s a good chance there is unethical spending going on. 33% of corporate credit card holders admit to blatantly defrauding the companies they work for, and twice that amount confess to making “risky purchases.” But a thread on AskReddit reveals some of the

Despite the fact that late-stage capitalism is an amoral hellhole driven by a borderline religious belief in the sanctity of brands, we would never, ever suggest that anyone should shoplift from big-box stores, or even imply that doing so is morally okay or a victimless crime. But hypothetically, if we were to give any tidbit

You’re powering through your morning. You’re in the zone. Getting so much done. But then you get Slacked with an innocent question: “Gotta moment to discuss the Jefferson thing?” “💯!” you answer instantly and get pulled off-task for 15- 20 minutes. And just before you’ve solved the Jefferson issue, your manager’s supervisor’s EA emails you

Though the wave of tech layoffs and the threat of a recession has overshadowed yesteryear’s news of the great recession, everywhere you look, employees are asking for more — and getting it. Though this time of uncertainty could have given employers back the power, it’s still in the hands of the workforce. From Gen-Z’s boundary

The workers who forgo the yoke of traditional employment to strike it out on their own form a vibrant sector of the American economy. From ambitious entrepreneurs to cunning freelancers and everyone in between, self-employed workers say “no” to a punch-the-clock world and enjoy a great deal of freedom in their work. However, that freedom

Looking for a job? In addition to encountering those annoying never-ending job interviews you may find yourself face-to-face with an artificial intelligence bot. Companies worldwide increasingly use artificial intelligence tools and analytics in employment decision-making – from parsing through resumes and screening candidates to automated assessments and digital interviews. But recent studies claim that AI

A few years ago I was at Coachella, buying overpriced, under-seasoned food from a vendor who was particularly kind. Par for the course, all of these events are dominated by Square payments that provide the oh-so-convenient option to tip your gracious server. Oftentimes, the transaction is so quick, you’re wondering if you should even tip

I’ve been thinking a lot about goal setting in the New Year…and not in the cliche resolution way. Not in the way that I get overzealous and aim to save $10,000 in one year, change my entire life around, and find the apartment of my dreams. Not in the way that sets me up for

Entrepreneur, businessman, inventor, and industrial designer – CEO of both Apple Inc. and Pixar – Steve Jobs was both inspiring and controversial. Polarizing and mesmerizing his impact is undeniable – Buddhist, tyrant. Genius, jerk. Always against the grain, yet always a step ahead. So what went on inside that mind of his, and what can