Your email is distractions and other people’s priorities. Your to-do list is your list of prioritized tasks.

1. Instead of checking your email endlessly, limit the number of times you check your inbox. 
2. Get things out of your email and onto your to-do list: If an email requires action beyond a response, then add that task to your to-do list where it belongs.
3. Don’t read email, act on it: File, respond, or delete. Otherwise, you are just compounding the mess in your inbox for later.
4. Close your email program.
5. Keep your emails short and to the point. As well, ensure your “ask” is in the first line.
6. Turn off the notifications: They interrupt your day and encourage you to stop your work to check your inbox.
7. Don’t check email on your mobile device: If you are using your phone for communication, utilize more immediate forms of communication such as Slack, iMessage, and more.