How To Go From 100 Emails In Your Inbox to 20

Next to paper, email is often the hardest thing to stay on top of. Hours can be spent each day mindlessly scanning email, but it still builds! The problem with a never-ending email inbox is that it's easy to lose track of what's important and what still needs to be dealt with. Questions to Consider 1. Do you use your email inbox as a record keeper? In other words, are you afraid to delete your email for fear you'll need the record later? Are these "records" cluttering your inbox? 2. Do you use your email inbox to hold things that still need to be done? A "to-do" list of sorts? 3. Do you find important emails buried by the unimportant after only a few days? 4. Have you had too many scares of forgotten or unnoticed email? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you'll want to read on for useful tools on shrinking your inbox and increasing your level of service and sanity. 1. Utilize Folders Many of my clients have an issue with storing emails in their inbox. This contributes to clutter, lost emails, and wasting time looking at old emails over and over again. Don't store all your emails in your inbox! Instead, create folders. Folders are the easiest way to sort your inbox, and practice good record-keeping. Use sub-folders for more detailed organization. For example, you might have a "client" folder with subfolders for each client name. You might create a "vacation" folder to hold all the emails for your upcoming trip. Or you might create a "reading" folder to hold emails you plan to read, etc. 2. Utilize Flags Flags are an easy way to sort emails that need an immediate response or action by you. For example, you may check your email first thing in the morning, but not be able to handle them before your a.m. meeting. Flag the most important emails (most email systems have this option). When you come back from your meeting, sort your email by flags, and deal with those first. In addition, many programs offer color-coded flags. So you might use red flags for urgent replies, green for research, blue for things to add to your calendar. Colored flags can also be a good option for prioritizing the reading folder. 3. Utilize Filters How many lists do you subscribe to? I'll bet you receive a lot of reading that you plan to get to, but instead it gets buried and clutters your inbox. Use your email system's filter option to automatically send these emails to a separate folder. You might create a general "reading" folder, or you might have specific folders for each list you subscribe to. (Are you worried you'll never get to the reading if it's not in your inbox? Keep reading!) Filters can also be used for large clients or projects. Simply create a folder which you automatically "filter" all related communication to. Your email system should show you when there is a new email in that folder. 4. Delete or Sort Emails Daily Sort or delete your emails on a daily basis, at the time you read them. That way you won't be re-reading the same emails over and over. 5. Utilize Your Calendar And/Or To-Do List Many people worry about out-of-site, out-of-mind. But, if you think about it, your buried emails are out-of-site! If you have emails that require important action by you, I encourage you to utilize your calendar or to-do list to schedule these items and remind you of their importance. A Few Examples Often the best way to deal with email is to combine several tools. Below are some examples to help you put it all together. Example 1: I am dealing with a project that generates 10 emails. I've been copied on 3 emails for my information, 4 emails were sent to me by the client as background information, and 3 still require a reply by me, but I'm not able to reply at this moment. To organize this and not clutter my inbox, I may do the following: <ol> <li>Add the project deadline to my calendar; along with scheduling any pertinent steps I know I must take in order to move the project forward.</li> <li>I will read and then move the informational emails to my client's folder in my email system for record-keeping and easy future reference.</li> <li>I will flag the emails that still require response and leave them in my inbox. I might also add a reminder to my calendar to reply to the client's email within two days.</li> <li>When I do reply, I will copy myself and move the email to the client's folder for record keeping.</li> </ol> Example 2: I receive an email for a class that I'm interested in, but I haven't decided whether or not to sign up. Rather than leave the email in my inbox to be buried, I will add the registration deadline to my calendar, so I don't forget about it and miss out. With that reminder, I will paste the website address or other information in my calendar for easy reference. In addition, I may move this email to an "education" folder for easy reference or I may flag this email and leave it in my inbox to be dealt with. Example 3: I have a large client and it is important that I respond to their emails within one business day. I will create a filter or "rule" that says all emails from "X client" are automatically moved to the "X client active" folder. The first thing I do each morning is check that folder before I am distracted by other emails. Finally, go slow. Change takes time and practice, so try implementing one new thing at a time. Give yourself a chance to adjust to new ideas before you discard them. Remember, email is a tool that should make you more efficient, not less! Extra Tip It's a better use of time to check your email 2 to 4 times per day, rather than every 5-10 minutes. This allows for better focus and less distraction from other projects. I hope these tips allow you to easily reduce your inbox from 100 emails to 20! 2008-09-22T04:32:53Z

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how-to-go-from-100-emails-in-your-inbox-to-20

2008-09-22T05:08:26Z

Next to paper, email is often the hardest thing to stay on top of. The problem with a never-ending inbox is that it’s easy to lose track of what’s important. This article provides strategies to help you manage your inbox...easily!

How To Go From 100 Emails In Your Inbox to 20

2009-02-24T09:46:05Z