• How to get rid of notification fatigue

• Why I had an app clear out

• Could your PA/EA/VA be better?

Welcome!

Did you know that notification fatigue is a thing?

The amount of notifications that pop through on your phone craving your attention.

You can even see exactly how many you get on your iPhone!

If you pop to Settings:

Screen Time:

App & Website activity

Scroll to the bottom…

It shows you exactly how many notifications you got each day and from which app.

Last week my avg. was 239 - it’s a lot 🤯 

I’m changing that and I want to help you with it too….

So lets dig in 😉 

Notification Nightmare 📱 

Considering they were created to make us more productive, it’s amazing how much LESS we get done thanks to our laptops. 

When your Slack’s pinging every other minute, WhatsApp’s going off and the inbox is constantly refilling, no matter how quickly you replied to the latest email. 

Doesn’t exactly leave a lot of time for your big picture projects – so what can you do to work less reactively and leverage your time better?

Every time I start working with a new client to free up more time for the fun stuff, I always give them three tips. So I thought I’d share them in case you’re stuck dealing with interruptions left right and centre too: 

1. DON’T be the first person to touch your emails 

Newsflash: the things that are going to get you more customers and earn you more money aren’t sitting in your inbox. 

So let someone else look at your inbox before you do – whether it’s a member of staff, a PA or a virtual assistant, they can deal with the majority of your emails. 

…Passing you the small proportion of important stuff that only you can deal with. 

2. Schedule time for interruptions 

This is so simple but SO effective. All you do is schedule a couple of half-hour slots in your daily diary that are dedicated to questions and interruptions. 

Tell your team when they can expect a response from you, and then deal with those interruptions during your scheduled time. And only then! 

3. Diarise your focus time evvvvveeeerrrry day 

Treat the needle-moving tasks with the respect they deserve by planning in some non-negotiable focus time every day of the week. 

I’m currently aiming for 2 hours 20 minutes of pure focus time – TWICE a day. And I tell you what, I go home at the end of each day feeling satisfied that I got the good stuff done. 

Well mostly anyway! How well are you managing your time at the moment?

Quick Win: Why I think you should have an app clear out 🎯 

You don’t need to see all the apps on your phone 24/7

You might think you feel better having them there so you can do a ‘quick check’

But a quick check messes with your attention.

Your ability to be in the present.

Properly re-charging in your down time.

A couple of weeks ago I did a clear out of all the work apps I start checking on ‘a circuit’

You know the thing? Where you check one app - read the latest updates close it and switch to your emails? Then you refresh the latest emails that have come in and have a quick scan. Then you go to Teams, Whatsapp, Slack - whatever messaging you use and look for new messages.

Before you know it you’re going back to the first app just to see if anything has come in since you last looked 5 minutes ago and you go round in a loop again.

I like to call it the circuit.

It gives us a quick ‘hit’ that we’re up to speed and there’s nothing lurking for us. But the hit only lasts for 5 minutes and you’re off again.

So in my clear out I removed the key ones that I use with my team like Asana and Teams.

And OH MY GOD the result was quite incredible for me.

It meant my evenings were much freer mentally. I couldn’t check anything without actually opening my laptop so I didn’t.

In the day I caught up with the Asana updates and Teams messages every 2 to 3 hours at really specific times. Replying, reading or delegating each time.

No longer drifiting between them as soon as I saw a new message pop through.

Getting rid of the urge to just do a quick response.

I was more present on the big work I was doing.

I really recommend it if you find yourself on the circuit regularly throughout the day. Delete your phone apps and instead check them at set times.

Your clarity, happiness and productivity will thank you for it!

Bootstrapping Your Business 🎙️ 

Last month I had the pleasure of being interviewed on the Bootstrapped Business Wisdom hosted by Mark Burgess. He’s the property industry’s leading expert on marketing, AI and technology.

Mark felt that there weren’t many podcasts around that helped Bootstrapped businesses (self funded ones) and so he started one!

We talked about my journey with Mi PA over the past 16 years, speeding up in the past 4 years, staying focussed and leveraging your time.

You can give it a listen here 😄 ⬇️ 

Could your current PA be better? 💫 

Are you frustrated with your existing assistant?

I've created a framework where I'm working with a handful of people, one on one, to help their Executive Assistant, VA or PA be more efficient and more productive to make their life easier.

If you’d like to be added to the waitlist just reply Fast Track and I’ll add you! 🙂

Happy Sunday team

Much love… go win the week 🚀 

Because we only get one chance at this week - make it a good one ⌛️ 

Em

x

P.S. I have a couple of spots available to work together 1 to 1 - and if working on getting more of the right stuff done is what you need right now you can book an application call here: Book Call

P.P.S If you know someone who would love practical tips sent to their inbox every week of How to Win the Week!...➡️  Forward this edition to them and they can sign up here: https://emmas-newsletter-adef7a.beehiiv.com/subscribe 

P.P.P.S Thank you for reading - your attention means more to me than you know 😄