Comments on: Playing Catch Up

By: Stefanie

Stefanie — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:03:16 +0000

I’m just now reading this post and it’s 12 days after you posted it, so you might not wanna take my advice on keeping up with email, BUT I find that if I respond immediately after reading the email, I get it done and keep up with it. So maybe just respond with each one read and don’t read them if you don’t have time to respond. The curiousity alone might get you to keep up better.

By: Jem

Jem — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 06:01:18 +0000

1) I don’t really get that many emails! But some days I just don’t have the energy to respond. That being said, once I start writing, I can’t stop, and I guess even a small response is better than none at all.

2) Again, I don’t really get that many emails! But generally I’m caught up

3) Umm…I guess I’d be kind of annoyed if someone took months to reply.It depends on who it was. If it was a friend, I’d be annoyed, but if it was someone I didn’t know I probably wouldn’t care as I’d understand they were busy.

4) I guess you just have to be honest and say that you get really busy and distracted. I mean you’re pregnant, you have an excuse!

By: WonderSpot

WonderSpot — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 23:12:05 +0000

I don’t think anyone keeps up with emails 100%.

I say try using Y2K as an excuse. I mean, why not? Or blame the econemy. Or Karl Rove. He’s a great scapegoat.

By: Becca

Becca — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 19:13:11 +0000

Seriously, I don’t think strangers who email your blog should expect a prompt response, if one is even required. You are a MOM. You are an EXPECTANT MOM. You are a WIFE. You are an EMPLOYEE. That’s enough to have on anyone’s plate. Add to that, you’re a good mom. You go on picnics and play in the park and ride on tire swings, pregnant and all. I think you should be proud of the excellent kids you are raising, the entertaining blog you write, and for the important emails that you are able to answer. I’m never offended if a blogger that I don’t know who has lots of email doesn’t respond to my question or my email. If they can or have anything to add to what I’m asking or saying, I’m grateful if they can, but otherwise. Gone. Forgotten. I still read the blogs, I still comment, I still enjoy.

By: NG

NG — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:12:42 +0000

I have a gmail account, but I have all my email forwarded to a different account and read it there. It occurred to me recently that gmail has a spam filter and that sometimes people I didn’t think had answered my email all those moths back in fact, had, and they didn’t get forwarded to my other account because they went to gmail’s spam folder instead. I have no way of knowing how many emails I missed.

So I’m for a liberal forgiveness policy now.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:04:49 +0000

I usually keep up on my email but I don’t have that many to address anymore. If they get away from me and I haven’t answered in a week, I triage them. If they weren’t something I had to respond to, I delete. If they were, I try to at least send an “I didn’t forget about you…will try to get back to you in the coming week” email if requires a longer response.

As for an excuse? I don’t expect one “Sorry, things got away from me” is more than sufficient if one feels necessary but playing the pregnant/working/raising a toddler and teen card should do it.

By: Michelle, a.k.a the artist formerly known as weaker vessel

Michelle, a.k.a the artist formerly known as weaker vessel — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:01:43 +0000

Even though I get relatively few emails, I do try to process it to empty every day.

More food for thought…have you heard about alternative productivity and anti-hacks? Here’s a primer…it’s an interesting critique of “hacks” culture.

http://thegrowinglife.com/2008/04/on-alternative-productivity-anti-hacks-for-living/

By: Operation Pink Herring

Operation Pink Herring — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:58:23 +0000

I don’t get THAT many emails, but I use my inbox (both work and personal) as a to-do list, and since I am slightly (extremely) compulsive, having an overflowing inbox makes me want to jump off a bridge. When I come back from a trip or something and have a huge backlog, I shut my door and dont’ do anything for an hour or two except sort through emails – delete all the junk, move all the stuff that was just for my information to folders/archive, and then prioritize what needs to be done. I work really hard for a few days to get everything answered and get back on top of things, and then I resume my lazy, procrastinating ways.

If someone take a really long time to get back to me, I really appreciate it if they just send me an email to say “sorry — been busy — will get to you soon”, or “Sorry – been busy – is this still important?”

You have about ten excuses – you have two kids you’re caring for, you’re pregnant, you’ve been sick, you changed jobs… I say, just email everyone saying you’ve been swamped, sorry, is this still important?

By: blogversary

blogversary — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:40:49 +0000

I don’t really have this problem. Gee thanks for making me feeling so unpopular!

Just kidding.

I think you are worrying to much about it.

Answer when you can. If it warrants a real apology then do, but most of the time I don’t think an apology is needed.

I personally don’t like it when people who respond to my emails days or weeks later and the first thing they says is sorry for being so late or whatever. I find it disingenuous, because the reality is that we are all busy. Just write the email, no apology.

I also don’t like it when people make statements like, “I am bad at email,” or similar. There is no right or wrong way to email. There is just emailing.

Happy Friday!

By: Kathy

Kathy — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:21:20 +0000

I am chronically behind on emails. I’ve even made it a point to let people know — blogging friends and those in real life — that I’m just bad at it. Before I had a computer I was bad at returning phone calls, so it’s not that different. I am trying, though.