Member-only story
Like many professionals, I rely on email heavily for both internal and external communication. Pre-pandemic, emails would pile up in my inbox while I was in back-to-back meetings all day, leaving me facing an overwhelming mountain when I’d finally sit down at my computer again.
Even after embraced remote work, I struggled to keep emails under control. Between team questions, client requests, and miscellaneous notifications, I’d easily spend 2+ hours some days just reading and responding to emails before I could focus on any “real” work.
That was until I implemented what I call the the 5-Sentence Email Rule which has completely transformed how I handle my inbox.
The 5-Sentence Email Rule is simple: Any email I draft myself needs to be 5 sentences or less. If it starts going longer, I’ll either edit it down more tightly or pick up the phone/schedule a meeting instead.
Here’s why embracing shorter emails has helped me communicate better while reclaiming huge chunks of time and mental space on a daily basis:
