Organizing Emails

Email is something that is supposed to make your life easier.  However, for most of us, we watch those inbox numbers climb over and over again and we just get a feeling of dread.  Here are some tips to make your email work for you.

1.  Use a separate email for online shopping.  Those companies will send you sale notifications, offers and follow ups.  Keeping an email address just for these will help you keep them under control.  AND you only have to access them when you want to.

2.  Unsubscribe.  So often we just delete what we don’t want and think it will go away.  The newsletters or sale notifications will keep coming unless you take the fifteen seconds to unsubscribe.  If you don’t have time right away, make an appointment with yourself and schedule 15 minutes once a month to take care of all those pesky emails.

3.  Set up reminders.  Figure out what you can do with your email program and then remind yourself to take action on items.  Leave yourself some leeway when setting deadlines.

4.  Don’t open it, read it and then just close it.  Decide if you need to schedule time to take action, you need to email someone else or just take the time to reply.

5.  If you are keeping emails because they contain information you need, consider using a note program such as Evernote. This allows you to keep a digital notebook of recipes, gifts to buy, to do items, and so on.

6.  If you get and send a lot of email related to your kids, consider having another email address just for that.  Doing so allows you some privacy and when you are logging in, you know exactly what you are dealing with.

7.  Set rules in your email program.  Most email programs allow you to set rules.  For example, all emails from your significant other can be automatically filed into their own folder.

8.  Use folders.  A folder for action items, a folder for long term project, etc…..filing things will help you keep your in box clean and be able to easy find the items that need your time and attention.

9.  Sort your email by the date it was received.  This lets you know what has waited for your attention the longest.

10.  Use your auto reply.  Tell people you will email them within a designated time period.  Be generous with your self and your time.  Just because email sends instantly doesn’t mean you need to reply instantly.

Have more questions?  Email us for more details!

Bonnie@thejoyfulorganizer.com