As seen in the Dayton Daily News on July 14, 2012.
Stop email clutter and get back to what’s important
Although email is an important way of communicating with others, it can keep us from doing things we enjoy or tasks we should be doing. When I’m checking email I’m not spending time with my family or helping my clients become more organized. Two things I’d rather be doing. Stop email distractions by managing your email instead of letting it manage you.
For starters try to reduce the number of emails you receive. Remember, the more you send the more you’ll get in return, so the next time you go to hit the ‘send’ button make sure reading those responses is the best use of your time.
Be careful when hitting the ‘reply all’ button. Target only those individuals you want responses from. Also, in your email message indicate that no reply is necessary if you’re just sharing information and don’t need a response. This will help cut down on those emails you send back and forth such as those ‘thank you for thanking me’ emails.
Set up a second email account to be used when you order from catalogs, sign up for raffles and those times when you’re asked for an email, but don’t want the items headed to your true inbox. You’ll cut down on the amount of junk email you have to deal with.
Take time to unsubscribe from newsletters you receive, but didn’t request. Simply deleting them is not enough. Get off their email data base list forever.
Sometimes picking up the phone can be the quicker option when you continue to receive emails over and over for the same subject.
Now it’s time to deal with those currently in your inbox. Quickly delete all the junk emails so they don’t continue to build up and stay in your way. With the emails that are left, respond to those you can do in two minutes or less. You will waste more time rereading these emails over and over so get them out of your inbox quickly.
Set up folders to organize those emails you have to save for future reference. By getting these types of emails out of your inbox you’ll quickly see what still needs your attention. Some email programs allow you to automatically route to folders you have previously created, keeping certain emails from reaching your inbox. For example, if you receive the same newsletter every month you can route those automatically to a folder keeping them out of your inbox, but stored until you have time to read. Check your rules and alerts email settings to better manage your email.
If you’re using your inbox as a ‘to do’ list, change the subject line from the one you received to the actual action you need to take. You can quickly review, prioritize and do your tasks, getting these emails out of your inbox by having a better system for getting things done.
Start new habits and take charge of your inbox. You’ll spend less time in front of your computer and have more time to focus on the things you love doing.