OpenAcademics

ALT Image by @phdcomics (Jorge Cham, 2013. www.phdcomics.com) showing the out-of-office email reply. Things in parentheses in the following sections are not written, but what is actually meant by the expressions: Hi (I hope the fact you got this response immediately after sending your email didn’t totally freak you out or get your hopes up). I will be out of the office (not that physically being in my office would guarantee that I respond to you any sooner) and unable to answer your emails (I’ll still see your email on my phone, but I’ll just ignore it) from/to [insert mysterious dates]. For urgent matters (only in case of the apocalypse) please contact [insert name of the poor assistant]. For all other inquiries, I will reply to you as soon as I return (meaning several days after I get back). Best wishes (meaning good luck!), [insert name] (what I want to say is “whee, I’m going on vacation!!”)

ALT Image source: luxafor.com/the-eisenhower-matrix The Eisenhower Decision Matrix categories include: 1. Urgent and important - Do it now. 2. Urgent but not important - Delegate. 3. Not urgent but important - Decide and schedule time to do it. 4. Not urgent and not important - Delete, eliminate the task.

ALT Meme for “when you remove all distractions and still don’t get any writing done” and you realize “the problem… is me.”