Lately I have been getting overwhelmed by my email inbox. Since I have multiple email address, they all connect into one main one. I knew it was a nuisance, but a few weeks ago I realized how bad it was. I was coaching a client and helping him in my office. I had fired up my computer to show him something. He looked at me shocked as my email popped up. He said: “you have 5,838 messages in your inbox!” I looked at him and told him that I knew that. I get a lot of email I explained. His next question was: “How in the world do you manage all of that?”
That got me thinking. I have folders I slide stuff into. I also have certain emails tagged to go directly into the folders. Yet, there is always so much that does not go into folders, so I usually flag the emails I want to get back to but not put into folders. When I looked I noticed that I had 545 flagged emails!
Since I hate getting the same marketing emails from different people, I spent a Saturday afternoon getting off email lists that I felt over sent me emails. Â The other thing I noticed was that I get a lot of spam email advertisements that do not go into the junk file. It was time to put a plan together.
The first thing I did was to go through the folders and make sure I cleaned them out and kept only ones that were important. I then created folders for all my important information, clients and affiliations.I start each day by going through them, keeping the important and deleting the rest.
The second thing I did was to unsubscribe from all of the spam email and the lists that were just creating a mess. I did this while watching the Food Network one evening. Don't waste valuable work time doing this. Yet do this step, it is important.
Flagging is a good tool if you go back that same day to the email. If not, handle it in the moment or put it in a folder. You can even create an end of the day folder that you handle right before you end your work day.
Once a week I go through to make sure I am not on any new lists that I don't want to be in and that my inbox is cleaned up.
Email is like anything, if you let it get away from you, you will soon be buried. I believe it is a lot like hoarding. It happens bit by bit and then you are completely overwhelmed!
My challenge to you is to get your email box in shape! Set up a system that works for you and sets you up for success. Life is too short to be buried under unwanted email! Plus you might miss an important email!
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