How To Deal With The Daily Deluge Of Emails (And Get The 'Real' WorkDone) - Forbes Article

1) no emails in the morning: DO NOT check email the first hour of the day. If you want to be really productive, do not check email for the first three hours of the day. As you practice this act of self-discipline, you will be astounded at how much more productive you are.

2) set boundaries and stick to them: Setting a schedule is important.  It’s also important to separate the urgent from the important. There is always stuff to get done.

3) prioritize ruthlessly: Each evening before you go to bed, ask yourself “What are the three most important things I need to do tomorrow to move my career and company forward?” Write these down. The next morning, instead of checking email, work on these three things first.

4) just say no: To reclaim your time and get the real work done, you need to be ruthless with your choices . If someone requests your presence at a meeting, ask yourself if it’s really necessary before committing. Don’t be afraid to say no. In the end, you will be more productive even if it feels uncomfortable at first

5) bulk task: Take certain mundane tasks such as paying bills, responding to email, and filling out forms, and bulk task them. Rather than constantly distracting yourself in small increments of time, set aside a chunk of time to complete all these small tasks at once.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/vanessaloder/2015/01/08/how-to-deal-with-the-daily-deluge-of-emails-and-get-the-real-work-done/

Number 4 reminds me of the Mindless Accept Syndrome that David Grady mentioned in this TEDtalk 

David Grady: How to save the world (or at least yourself) from bad meetings.