Today I’m going to share a new practice of mine. I’ve been doing this for about two months now.

I’ve turned off email on my phone. Well, it’s still there… but it will not push (auto retrieve) any messages from the server anymore. If I want to check email on my phone, I have to do it automatically.

Why? Simple. It consumed my every moment! EMAILS EMAILS EMAILS. I was drowning. Now I check once in the morning (between 8-10am) and once in the afternoon (around 4pm).

How can you not have your email on?

There is a myth that you and I are supposed to be available every waking moment. There is SOME truth to that… if someone’s in critical condition at the hospital and needs me as PASTOR, then I’m available. However, I don’t need my phone beeping at 8:47pm so I can resound to a question someone has about a project, meeting or some sort of approval.

Email has stolen our time AND our focus.

I couldn’t complete projects because I was being interrupted with emails. Why didn’t you just let it sit? Because when you have something set up to come to you immediately, you’re going to give it immediate attention… it’s programmed in our subconscious.

I could go on and on… but I’ll end here.

Give it a try. Shut off your email. Yes, you’ll have to reprogram the mindset of people who contact you non-stop throughout the day… but it won’t take long. And just a tidbit… if someone emails you something that’s urgent and needed in the next five minutes, they’re wrong not you… don’t feel guilty if you miss it.

Shut it off now!