I’m busy working away in the studio in preparation for the Paradise City Art Festival. In order to keep myself from being too distracted by outside noises I instituted one new habit this week that has made a major difference in my ability to get work done.
I silenced the ding (i.e. the bell) on my email.
What a difference this makes in my productivity. I’d never thought about silencing the email ding before. Bruce Baker mentioned it in his interview with Allison Lee on Craftcast. Then I read about doing this in an article in the United Airlines magazine Hemispheres.
Talk about having a Homer Simpson “Doi” moment.
With the computer living in my studio, the email ding was just part of the environmental noise. I just didn’t realize how very distracting it was to me, even when there is music playing in the background.
So yesterday off went the ding.
At first I missed the little bugger. I could still hear him in my head “Hey, I’m here, Ding, come read your email.” But today has been pure bliss.