As someone who has been a historically negligent telecommunicator, this habit is definitely one that has required some intention and tlc in developing, but boy has it been worth it!
First and foremost, this is a bandwidth godsend.
By responding to messages as soon as you get them, you fulfill your immediate duty and free up that sweet sweet real estate.
But of course there are also many downstream benefits that I will cover in as soon as I qualify a bit and explain the practice.
Qualifiers:
Obviously dont stay glued to your device, or stop whatever youāre doing, or get into more involved discussion when it is not the time or place to do so. And also in dating I think there is a real value in the air that used to be so natural and implicit before texting.
The Practice:
Very simple. When an inbound comes in and you see it, simply take 5 seconds to 1 minute to read and respond to it. Most things I find can be answered with a yes, no, or maybe so. And if it canāt, a ācan I call you laterā or āgood question š¤ā or ālet me seeā might do the trick. And finally, if none of these work
go ahead and take your little time and respond later.
Downstream benefits:
People like it
Things get sorted out faster
Less falls through the cracks
No apology texts or excuses
less overthinking communications/more authenticity
Obviously there is no right or wrong way. I have a friend that goes read receipts, reads stuff, then, if needed, takes his time to get back to you. And I actually find that nice to be on the receiving end of because itās always intentional.
But Iāve really enjoyed this way and practice and wanted to recommend it as it has added a lot of value in my life.