"You don't have to answer a phone just because it is ringing."

For some reason most people give telephones more priority than they deserve. I guess the sound of a ringing bell or a cell phone ring tone signals something in our brains that makes us think that something very important will soon follow.

The truth is that most phone calls are not that important and usually take us away from more important activities.

This may be hard to do but I want you to get in the habit of not always answering your phone every time it rings.

Why?


* Because phone calls can take you away from productive tasks and therefore negatively affect your productivity.

* Because phone calls can be time wasters.

* Because phone calls can bring more stress into your life.

* Because phone calls can be expensive.


Here are some tips that will help you be more productive, have less stress, and more time to accomplish what is really important in your life.

Get in the habit of using your phones caller ID function to
screen every call. You can determine in a few seconds whether the person calling you is someone that you really need to speak to now, or someone that you can call back later after work hours.
Get in the habit of training people when to call you. Example: Tell your friends and relatives that the best time to reach you is after 5 pm. Eventually your friends and relatives will realize that the best time to contact you to engage in a friendly chat is after work hours.  
Get in the habit of letting your phones voicemail take messages for you. This is an extremely effective time management technique. Let your phone ring until it goes to voicemail then immediately check the message. This way you can hear what the person calling wanted to tell you without getting into a long drawn out conversation that may waste a lot of your time and interrupt an important activity that you were in the middle of.
If your phone has a speakerphone feature use it more often. The problem with phones is that they can tie up your time and your hands. If you have a speakerphone get in the habit of using it more often so that you can do things with your hands while talking. You may also want to invest in a wireless headset that will allow you to walk around your home or office and talk hands free. 

Obviously you will still want to restrict your calls to calls that are important.

The most important thing you can do is to always remember this:

"You don't have to answer a phone just because it is ringing."