GREAT RESOURCES HOW TO STAY ORGANIZED WITH YOUR EMAILS

HOW TO STAY ORGANIZED WITH YOUR EMAILS

by Grace Wong

It’s that dreaded feeling of turning on your phone or logging into your computer and seeing the inevitable: a full inbox. Emails from colleagues who need answers now, supervisors who need answers yesterday, assorted ads, spam and your friend’s photos from her trip to Las Vegas (well, pre‐pandemic, in any event).

What can you with this onslaught of incoming email so that it’s not overwhelming? Try these steps to get your inbox organized and keep it that way.

1) Organizing as a daily task.

Make organizing your inbox a part of your routine, like lunch, a coffee break or a daily report to your boss. It’s something you schedule into your day, not something you squeeze in at the last minute. This can be accomplished by:

a. Start by purging anything you no longer need.

Delete anything that’s not relevant anymore (as long as you’re sure you won’t need it later). And hit “report spam” on any spam. b. Archive emails you’re not ready to delete just yet.

If you’re finished with an email but you’re not sure if you’ll need it later, hit “archive” or move it to an archive folder specifically for that purpose. Chances are pretty good you won’t need it later, but it’ll save you a ton of time searching for stuff if you do.

c. Delete newsletters and other “for free reading” emails if they’ve been sitting in your inbox for more than a week.

It’s tempting to hold on to these because the topic interests you, but odds are if you haven’t read it within seven days, you likely won’t.

d. Unsubscribe from promotional emails you don’t need or want anymore.

Only subscribe to emails you truly want to see in your inbox everyday. If you’re deleting without reading, maybe it’s time to change your subscription preferences. And if you’ve subscribed to get a 10% off coupon, get the coupon, then unsubscribe.| 28

e. If you need to forward an email to someone, do it right away, then delete it! There’s no need to keep it in your inbox when it’s not your responsibility.

2) Commit to a filing system that’s flexible.

Your online filing system should consist of folders you create within your email system. Think of it this way: you have a filing cabinet with all your important papers, with labelled hanging files. Now think of your email in the same manner. Whatever you choose to do, it should be able to grow with your needs.

a. Set up as many folders as you need.

Everyone’s inbox patterns differ, based on who they are and what they do. Someone who works out of the home and travels frequently is going to have different needs than a home based business working out of their basement. Personally speaking, this is what my folders looks like and no, it’s by no means perfect.

b. Set up filters, so emails go straight to the folder they belong in.

Filter things so they automatically go to the appropriate folder – or to the trash – so they aren’t bunging up your inbox or distracting you. c. Create multiple inboxes to further prioritize your emails.

Create inboxes for tasks that – for example – can be done immediately, need follow up or can wait until later.

3) Keep those files clean and tidy.

Schedule a weekly or monthly review of those files and eliminate those that are no longer useful. This is very similar to moving paperwork from one paper tray to another to consolidate them.

a. Keep things from piling up by checking your email throughout the day. Use your downtime to your advantage – it’s the perfect time to check your email.

b. If you’d rather not be the type that’s attached to your inbox at the hip, set up a designated time, or a few designated times, to check your email each day.

c. Immediately respond to anything requiring only a minute of your time; if you want to take things a little more seriously, try the OHIO method – Only

Handle It Once. Use the one-minute rule – if something takes a minute or less to accomplish, try doing it right away rather than waiting until later. Using the OHIO method means reading an email, digesting it’s contents, figuring out how to handle it and then handling it immediately. It can save you time by keeping you from forgetting stuff or wasting time re-reading emails.

d. Flag things you can’t get around to right away and set up a system for eventually handling them.

This generally means starring the emails in your inbox so it catches your attention later on. It’ll serve as a reminder that something needs to be dealt with.

e. Try to respond to business emails within 24 hours and emails from family and friends within 72 hours.

It can be tempting to ignore emails when you are swamped, but if you can’t respond in a meaningful fashion within the time frame you’ve set for yourself, maybe it’s better to fire off an email along the lines of, “I’m sorry I can’t deal with this right now, but I promise I’ll give it my full attention next week/month/whenever.”

4)Friends don’t let friends have their work email addresses.

As much as you might love seeing the latest cute baby pictures from your BFF, don’t give her your work email. Doing so links her email with yours and suddenly you’ll find your inbox filled with diaper coupons and breastfeeding articles.

5) Deal with your inbox first thing and last thing of the day.

While in an ideal world, you’ll be checking your email at certain junctures of the day, emptying your inbox as your first order of business and the last task of the day should be a minimum. It clears the path for the day’s activities, helps prepare a to‐do list for tomorrow and provides a sense of accomplishment at both ends of the day. All these things said, obsessing about keeping your inbox at zero daily can be a time and energy drain. Just keep up with organizational habits that you can create that are sustainable and don’t worry too much about it. Remember, the point of keeping your inbox organized is to save time by making things easier to find and stay on top of. Hopefully, these simple tips will help in this regard.

With 23-years-experience in computer and mobile device repairs, Grace Wong has owned Apex Computer & Mobile Repairs for five years. She lives and works in Sherwood Park with her husband and 16-year-old son who she adores to the moon and back.

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