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| Monday, May 19, 2008 |
| Monday Hacks: Taking Care of Your Inbox |
I use Gmail everyday. Perhaps the fastest way to get to me is through my email. Although I no longer keep it on or check it every few seconds (I used to check it frequently), it is still a part of my day.
One thing you will be able to notice if you look at my email is that my Inbox is almost always empty. No, it is not because nobody loves me and nobody sends me emails. On the contrary, I receive almost a hundred emails per day. Why? Simply because I my email address is like the core of my command center, with iGoogle as the whole enchilada. But that is a different story. Today, I share my secret of having an empty Inbox.
- Don't check your email every minute. I think most people would agree that your time is wasted hugely on the fact that you respond almost immediately as soon as something new comes in. If you've worked with email clients, such as Outlook or Thunderbird - like I do at home, then make sure the alert is turned off. It is best to check emails in intervals. To be honest, I check my emails hourly or every two hours.
- Apply filters. Gmail has this feature which allows you to automatically archive emails and put labels in them. Since my email serves as the command center, I have already set filters into my emails. That way, I can set time as to when I deal with emails that come for which ones. That way, I can easily focus my time into one set of emails - like those that are work related, forwarded, from my mother, from online opps.
- Take care of each email right away. I am not going back on #1, what I mean to say is that you take care of each email as soon as you've read it. Decide what you do with it: delete, archive, forward-archive, forward-delete, reply-archive, reply-delete.
- Is it important that you have to read it for information? If so, I recommend you Star it then Archive, or file it away to a folder/label called "Readables" then Archive it, as soon as you have dealt with it, remove the label and you're good. Or you could print it out and have it as a reading material when doing something outside cyberspace.
- Does the email contain things that you need to do in the future? Take note of the things and details and mark them down in your calendar, to-do list, or somewhere else. Archive email after taking notes.
- One location. In essence, I have just one folder, and it is Archive. The Inbox simply acts like some kind of waiting room where emails wait to be executed. I merely add labels to make me get organized more. If I ever need something, there's always the search option which has not failed me yet.
Coming to a clean Inbox is just perfect for me. It is easy to achieve, too! To top it off, you can be oh so productive! Perfect.Labels: email, getting things done, how to, improvement, Monday Hacks, productivity, time management, tips, work, work at home |
| posted by Ann @ 5:00 PM
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| About Me |
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Name: Ann
Home: Philippines
About Me: even when she has fairy wings on, this girl is anything BUT dainty. perhaps the size, the weight, and the personality alone are just too much for her to be considered delicate, prim, proper, and refined. this girl with the mud smudged cheeks has been down on the ground one to many times. these times forced her to be tougher, smarter, and more savvy than she has ever been. perhaps she will always be, never dainty.
email me: neverdainty [at] gmail [dot] com
See my complete profile
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