Whenever you are about to embark upon a vacation, the question of email inevitability comes up. Will you remain online, go offline, or try a hybrid of the two? In this post I provide a brief overview of these options and the system I will use on my upcoming sabbatical.

First of all, I have experience with all three of these options:

Yesterday, when I posted about buying the new Macbook Air, several people asked in the comments or via email what programs I use on a regular basis. I thought I’d post a list of mine in the hope that you will post a list of yours. Even if you are a Windows user, I’d also like to see your list.

Here are the programs that I launch automatically when I turn on my MacBook Air.

Earlier this week, a good friend of mine who also happens to be an author and blogger asked if I had an email template for saying “no.” Apparently, as a result of her rising visibility, she is getting numerous requests from people who want to meet with her or “pick her brain” about this or that.

I get lots of requests like this, too. In fact, I have identified eleven different kinds of requests. I hate saying “no” to people. In fact, I don’t know anyone who enjoys it. So to make the process less painful, I have developed a series of email templates that I can use for these requests.

Most of us don’t spend enough time thinking. We are so busy doing that we have, I fear, almost forgotten how to think. Yet it is our thinking, more than any other single activity, that influences our outcomes.

I thought it was about time to overhaul my standard voice mail greetings. I’ve been following the same procedure for several years.