Escape the Mundane + Experience the Remarkable

How to Use Gmail to Pretend You’re Working 9-5

Surf Boards on the beach

Unfortunately, most clients, bosses, and associates have this weird assumption that we should work during the day.

I don’t share this view.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m a hard worker. But my productive hours aren’t during the industrial-aged idea of a 9-5, Monday-Friday workweek.

I’m at my best during the later hours of the day and into the night.

Since most of the time I’m working on my own projects, no one is the wiser of when I’m working, when I’m sleeping, and when I’m playing. However, the secret is out when I send emails.

It’s hard to be perceived as normal when people see an email timestamp of 4:07am.

Until now…

Tricking the Timestamp System

What if there was a way to make it look like you were working, when you’re actually out enjoying the day?

Boomerang for Gmail

Luckily, there’s a nice add-on for Gmail that solves the email timestamp dilemma.

By using Boomerang for Gmail, you can schedule when emails are sent. Which allows you to work when convenient or when you’re most productive. Yet appear to work during normal working hours.

And ultimately, it’ll help you live your life the way you want.

For Instance…

You’d like to spend time on the beach Monday morning. But since you’re working on some projects that require collaboration with colleagues and clients, it normally would require you sitting in front of the computer sending emails all morning. Then waiting until the afternoon for replies.

Now with the help of this app, you can get your work done the night before, type out all your requests in Gmail, and schedule them for delivery Monday morning.

You’ve safely made a huge window of time for your morning in the sun.

Cool, huh?

So do you have any ideas of how to use this add-on to improve our workday? Let us hear ‘em in the comments below!

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  • Sandy

    Clever…I am learning something everyday from your knowledgeable posts:) Keep up the good work!

  • http://couchsurfingceo.com Bradley Gauthier

    Thanks! Glad I could help :)

  • http://twitter.com/PegFitzpatrick Peggy Fitzpatrick

    Very nice! I think I will try it out. No one needs to know that I am answering email at night.

    Great job!
    Peggy

  • http://couchsurfingceo.com Bradley Gauthier

    Exactly! :)

    Thanks Peggy!

  • http://twitter.com/ZahlmZahlm Hugh Kimura

    I just started using Boomerang…great stuff! I use it to schedule reminders to other people and Boom’ing stuff back into my inbox day of (meeting, trip, etc), so my inbox isn’t cluttered. But as you mention above, making like you are working is the best use of all.

  • http://couchsurfingceo.com Bradley Gauthier

    Yeah absolutely, it has a lot of practical uses beyond the scheduling. Definitely makes email and overall correspondence more productive!

    Thanks for bringing the other benefits up, Hugh :)

    Brad

  • http://www.letsbewild.com/ Nick

    Clever! I don’t use Gmail, but there are actually ways to do this using Mac Mail too. Definitely comes in handy for those of us who don’t work a typical 9 to 5. Or rather, we work 9pm-5am.

  • http://couchsurfingceo.com Bradley Gauthier

    Cool! Thanks for letting us know about Mac Mail, great to have options :)

  • http://twitter.com/greghartle Greg Hartle

    Sick. Love it.

  • http://womeninbusinessradio.com Michele Price

    Bradley heard about boomerang and had not taken time to check it out deeper. This alone is helpful. What else do you like about it?

  • http://couchsurfingceo.com Bradley Gauthier

    While this is a fun and useful trick, the software is pretty functional in terms of productivity. It allows for you to send emails and forget about them. What I mean by this is that the system will “boomerang” the message back if the person doesn’t respond in X days. It’s nice to not need to think about correspondence and not to worry who is responding to emails.

    I bet there are a bunch of other uses, but the above post plus this are the only ways I use the software.

    Thanks for the question Michele!

    Brad

  • http://www.biggirlbranding.com/about Big Girl Branding

    Ha! Had no idea about that add on! Sweet, going to have to test it out! :)

  • http://www.theuniuni.com/ Payton_vege

    Amazing write-up! This could aid plenty of people find out more about this particular issue. Are you keen to integrate video clips coupled with these? It would absolutely help out. Your conclusion was spot on and thanks to you; I probably won’t have to describe everything to my pals. I can simply direct them here!