Why you should NOT check email first thing in the morning (3 of 7):

Ignorance Is Bliss!

As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “There are many things of which a wise man might choose to be ignorant”.

When it comes to email, ignorance is bliss. That’s why starting your day focused solely on accomplishing one or two or even three of your highest priority tasks (before you look at email) will make you both feel and actually be more productive.

Avoid checking email for as long as you can - any new information that arrives via email will only cause you to get distracted, lose focus and be less productive.

We should use what Timothy Ferris* called ‘selective ignorance’ so that we can stay focused on what really matters. If you are blissfully unaware of what fires need to be put out, if you don’t know about the special sale that’s on today and if you don’t see that funny joke your colleague has sent you, are you really any worse off? You’ll find out about these soon enough. But meanwhile, you’ve made progress early in the day on the things you’re responsible  rather than struggling to get them done later in the day, under time pressure and with sagging energy levels!

* The Four Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss