“Dad, your inbox is completely overloaded. How do accomplish anything?” my daughter screeched when she borrowed my computer. My daughter is very organized and detail oriented. Usually, this describes me, but I had let my email inbox get out of control.
“Anxiety is caused by a lack of control, organization, preparation, and action.” David Kekich
Do you dread Mondays because you didn’t check your email all weekend and you don’t know what you will face? Managing your email inbox can save time every day. Use some of these helpful tips to declutter your inbox and maximize your productivity.
Create two email addresses.
One email address for your business and one email address to give out to family, friends, etc.
Set specific times to check your email
Checking your email throughout the day can be distracting and lower productivity. According to research released by McKinsey Global Institute, workers spend more than 25% of their day answering and reading emails.
Unsubscribe.
Be ruthless and unsubscribe from any unwanted emails. There is usually always an unsubscribe button at the bottom of all emails.
Get organized!
Spend 10-15 minutes at the beginning of each day getting your inbox organized. You can use the “star” button to prioritize
Create folders.
Put everything in a folder that isn’t junk mail. Example: budget, personal, passwords, blogs. You can use names to keep all information from a particular person and create folders for your events. You will find it helpful to go back each year, search past event folders and remember events or contacts. Sometimes folders can save the day when you are searching for a conversation you had or report you can’t find.
Complete tasks.
Leave emails in your inbox until you have completed the associated task. If your boss asks you to run a report, do not move that email to a folder until you have sent the report. Your inbox should only include emails of tasks to be completed. Have a goal for an empty inbox by the end of the work day.
By the way, I now have folders and can easily find what I am looking for without wasting time. My inbox holds around ten emails by the end of the day. And yes, I had to get help from my daughter, but I know my weaknesses and am always willing to get help!
Try it; you will be glad you did!
