How do I manage all the data and information that crosses in front of me each and every day?
I do not check email first thing in the morning if I can avoid it, nor do I check email as I am closing up for the night (unless there is a need such as confirming a morning meeting).
I do try to get the most important thing I need to do that day started, if not completed, before I check email. It is very useful way to help me gain momentum on my to-do list.
I do not check email every twenty seconds.
I do have my email programs set to check for new messages every two hours but in reality that means I manually refresh it every 15-30 minutes.
I do not have any notifications on my phone or computer that alert me to new mail.
I do always have new email. That’s a given. Why let announcement of its arrival eat at me and distract from what needs to be done?
I do not let everything go into my inbox.
I do sort and filter aggressively so that much of the routine stuff gets processed together.
Mailing lists, store announcements, the stuff that doesn’t need to be acted on immediately because fifteen years ago it probably would have come as a paper mailing and not be read immediately. This sort of email gets automagically filtered away and pass go (the inbox).
I do not leave everything in the inbox for eternity.
I do try to process through my inbox daily, weekly, and monthly to make sure that closed items are stored properly, emails that can be deleted are, and that I hopefully haven’t missed anything important.
Is it a perfect system? No. When things become too overwhelming from the flood of messages pouring in over my multiple email accounts I either head out for a trail run or pick up my knitting needles for a few short bit. I do not currently work with EMS or doctors or hospitals. Nothing is a super critical life or death situation. It can wait thirty minutes.
Do you feel overwhelmed by your email?
Do you have a friend who constantly floods your inbox with those silly forwards that you never read? If you would like guidance on configuring your specific setup to sort through everything, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Do you want help figuring out the best way to sort, categorize, and store your emails for your small or solo business? I can assist you in drafting a plan, implementing it, and if you want scheduling audits to make sure you are doing what you set up. Again, please do not hesitate to contact me.
If you want more ideas on how to deal with this I’ve found that there are many many sites and articles to help.
Lifehacker is probably the most recognized at this point.
Inbox zero is the concept of getting your inbox down to zero items. My record is somewhere in the double-digits …
There are also the gurus such as David Allen’s Getting Things Done (aka GTD)
I recommend searching for life hacks or getting things done. Will the above sites come up? Yes, but so will many others interpretations and implementations and tweaks. Maybe you’ll find an idea that works with you.
Will these work for you? Do you need to subscribe to the completely? No. Find what works best for you and don’t feel that you have to change your way completely overnight. If you want advice or some help getting it started I can help.
