I’m always looking for tools and ideas that help save time and allow me to be more productive (thus 3LUXE). One of the biggest time drains in our (my) life today is email. I’m continuously checking my inbox for urgent matters and on nights and weekends I’m constantly looking for updates via my blackberry. It’s crazy and I know I’m not alone.

Tim Ferris author of The 4-Hour Workweek recently posted How to Stop Checking E-mail on the Evenings and Weekends that has some great time saving techniques.

1. “Batch” email at set times. Have an email-checking schedule and do not deviate.
2. Send and read email at different times. Go offline and respond to all email from a local program such as Outlook or Mail.
3. Don’t scan email if you can’t immediately fix problems encountered.
4. Don’t BIF (before I forget) people during off-hours.
5. Don’t use the inbox for reminders or as a to-do list.
6. Set rules for email-to-phone escalation.
7. Before writing an email, ask yourself: “what problem am I trying to solve?” or “what is my ideal outcome?”
8. Learn to make suggestions instead of asking questions.

Check out Tim’s blog Experiments In Lifestyle Design for additional details and more time saving tips.

Time to get back to my inbox.

All the best,
Bill

The best thing about Google is the vast amounts of information it gathers and categorizes. If it’s out there, Google brings it back in its results.

The worst thing about Google is the vast amounts of information it gathers and categorizes. If it’s out there, Google brings it back in its results.

Therein lies the paradox.

Autobytel recently fielded a study that found that 7 out of 10 Americans suffer from what they’ve categorized as Search Engine Fatigue—a condition/malady/sickness/state of mind that comes from not finding what you’re looking for on the web.

Luckily, there is a remedy.

Search engine fatigue is the genesis of our site 3LUXE. We didn’t know the term, but we certainly suffered from it.

We (my wife, two kids and I) moved into a new house (new to us, really old in fact and needing lots of updating) in the summer of ‘06, which immediately put us in the market for a number of big-ticket items. Having to buy so many things all at once really brought into sharp focus that there was no one source that easily identified the best items for purchase.

To be clear, recommendations and reviews weren’t impossible to find.

Just frustrating.

And time consuming.

The search engines gave us millions of results, and the information existed within those, but it took a ton of time to winnow through the results to find those that were really relevant. And the shopping comparison engines were only of real use when we already knew what we wanted to purchase.

That’s why we created 3LUXE—we research thousands of products in hundreds of categories and only post reviews on the three we’ve found to be best in each category. We find these products through online and offline research, including personal use where possible. Essentially doing the research people would do if they had more time. With a goal of being the first place you go, before you go shopping.

Barry Schwartz of Swarthmore College wrote a book about how more is often less. It’s called The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less. It’s a great read and I highly recommend it no matter what business you’re in.

The main theme of the book is that when there are too many choices, or too much information, your brain can’t reasonably process all of the trade-offs that are possible. There are too many options to be considered. Too many variables to weigh. It’s nearly impossible for you to feel confident that you’re making the right decision. In the end, most of us make no decision (i.e. purchase) at all. The Autobytel/Kelton Research study showed the same result, 75% of those who suffer from Search Engine Fatigue get up and walk away from their computers.

That’s phenomenal.

That’s the paradox of choice brought to life.

That’s the reason why we started 3LUXE.

All the best,

Doug

There are people who would look at this and shake their heads, wondering why anybody would want a roof rack on a classic Porsche 911 Targa?

Why wouldn’t you?

The owner of this car obviously likes to kayak, and isn’t a Porsche made to drive? By using a car rack, he gets to kayak and enjoy the drive to and from his kayaking experience.

Time is the one luxury that we will never be able save for, or buy more of.

At 3LUXE we have a goal of helping you simply find the best. In doing the research for you, we are giving you the gift of more time. Take inspiration from the photo above and make the most of your time.

All the best,
Bill