|
Author: Inez Ng Article source: http://www.submityourarticle.com/. Used with author's permission.
I remember when I was first introduced to email. I was working in a big corporation at the time. I thought it was the neatest thing since sliced bread. I hit a button and the message is sent instantaneously. What could be better? Since then, my feelings towards email are somewhat modified. I still think the technology is great, but I have witnessed too many people getting stressed out by the sheer volume of communications via this medium to know that for some it can sometimes be a curse instead of a blessing. Since none of us is expecting a reduction in the volume of email we will receive, you may find the following tips helpful in helping gain control over your email.
Keep in mind that this article is designed to help you manage your emails related to work. If you do not have separate email accounts for your work and personal life, my very first suggestion is to get that set up right now. There are numerous options for free email accounts. Do yourself a favor and set one up for your personal activities, like shopping on-line, or subscribing to ezines for your outside interests. That way, you won't waste precious time weeding through the latest sales offers from Amazon while you are trying to concentrate on work.
Tip #1 - Handle each message once if at all possible
Treat the email like a piece of paper. If it is short enough for you to read on the screen, decide what action you need to take to "handle" it. If it was an information only message, then either file it or delete it afterwards. Do not just leave it in your in-box for later because it will take you more time to read it again and figure out what to do.
Unfortunately, a good percentage of the messages I used to get were multi-pages long with multiple attachments. In those cases, I found it very difficult to read the contents on the screen. My suggestion is to print out the entire content and quickly decide if you want to deal with it now or later.
Tip #2 - Don't be stingy with folders
In order to file a message you want to keep, you have to have a destination for it. The only reason why you want to file something is if you think you want to access the information again. So, the easier it is for you to find it, the more efficient you will be. Create as many folders and sub-folders as you need in order to expedite your search for the information in the future. It will take way less time to find a particular message in a folder with 30 items versus 300 items.
Tip #3 - Don't be an email pack-rat
Are you someone who saves every message just in case you will need it later? If you are, break yourself of that habit right now! Unless you have to retain documents for compliance reasons, the "just in case" scenario does not happen often enough to warrant the clutter you are creating for yourself. When you surround yourself with clutter, it drains energy from you, and clutters your mind. So, be very selective about what you need to keep. And I will bet you money that if you really needed something that you didn't keep, you can find another copy (usually from the originator) pretty easily.
Tip #4 - Leave ONLY messages that you need to act on in your "Inbox"
Having an Inbox with hundreds of messages will overwhelm anyone. And being in overwhelm is not going to help your productivity or your mind-set. So, if you still have to read that 10 page email you received, leave it in your Inbox until you have read it and know what you have to do. But if you've already read that concise one page message from your boss and answered her question, then either delete it, or move it to a subject folder.
When I was in the corporate world, I had an objective of keeping my Inbox to fewer than 30 items because I know that I would start to feel out-of-control when there are too many items in there. And I would feel very proud of myself when I get the list to 15 or fewer because that meant that I was very close to getting "caught up".
There you have it - these are the top 4 things I do to keep my email under control. If you found this information useful and would like more tips on this subject, let me know (via email, I suppose) and I'll let you in on more of my secrets in a follow-up article.
© 2004 Inez O. Ng Leaderhip coach Inez Ng helps busy professional and entrepreneurs get better results quickly. Learn more about coaching with her at http://www.realizationsunltd.com
Want to know more about taming your email? Check out her ebook at http://www.easyemailstrategies.com
Rethinking Linking - Link Exchange Back to Basics
Links are regaining their near-forgotten function as real paths of human communication, thanks to Google.
Resourceful Redecorating - Budget Friendly Home Decorating
This is a great time to bring some new ideas into your home and liven things up! Before you buy, shop at your own home. If you have "stuff" laying around the g...
Harness the Power of Skill Sets and Mindsets
Making that mental connection allows you to escape being
stuck and giving up, it focuses your mind on a solution.
Who Are Your Kids Talking To Online?
Do you know what strangers are saying to your kids online?
Body Jewelry and Todays Stars
Body jewelry and body piercing practices have been observed by various groups of people all over the world throughout the centuries. For some tribes it is a rit...
Can Anyone Succeed as a Freelance Copywriter?
Not everyone can succeed as a freelance copywriter. Some people don't have what it takes. But if you think that being a diploma-carrying writer with a degree is...
How to Grow Strawberries
Mmmm.. strawberries. Tasty and not difficult to grow if you know how...
Marketings Nuclear Weapon
Three seconds. That's what you have to convey your message. Creativity is the strategic weapon that allows us to capture those few precious moments of attention...
What It Takes To be An Entrepreneur Series: Action
Being an entrepreneur requires more than just a desire, it also requires boldness to take action which is what we look at in this article today.
Dont Drink Your Calories--Expanded Version
This article explores in much further depth than the soda pop based "DON'T Drink Your Calories" about how drinking anything but water on a regular basis tends t...
5 Powerful Tips To Beat The Biggest Problem ALL Marketers Face
I bet you can't tell me... the single biggest problem facing Every Direct Marketer, new and old. It's not generating traffic, nor building an O'pt-In list, nor...
Top Ten FAQs About Viagra
Many people have thought about buying this product but there are many aspects which are not clear for them concerning Viagra. That is why the purpose of this ar...
My Life
Direct Answers - Column for the week of October 11, 2004 My sister is 45 and having an affair with an old boyfriend from her youth. She says she loves him, he l...
Top 3 Steps to Success Building the Relationships
Marketing is a broad business subject that encompasses a range of activities including advertising, public relations, sales, promotions and building relations...
CCM Music Recording Company Case Study Part 3
Evaluation of Resources & Capabilities Section 2 including value chain analysis and BCG matrix of Colorado Creative Music
Which Citi Mastercard Is Right For You?
You've decided to apply for a Citi MasterCard, but with so many different cards to choose from, how do you know which one is right for you?
Beach Clothing for the Sand and Surf
A bikini, tankini, or 1-peice. What should you wear to the beach? Fashions come and go, but there are a few standard types of swimwear you will always see.
Make-up for Color Contact Lenses - Expert Secrets
Color contacts are great, whether you wear enhancement color lenses to brighten your natural color or opaques to change it completely. However, you will also ne...
The Feeding Tube for Your Business
There are a lot of things that make a business full of clients and running smoothly. We all know you need a constant stream of clients.
Enjoy Rose Gardening
The rose. It has been the subject of many a poem, prose and song. It has been one of the many symbols of beauty, love and female sexuality. It has warmed and wo...
Local-Search Upgrades Affect Traditional Local Businesses
Much of the public awareness of Internet search comes from Google's innovations in technology, but until recently, local search wasn't really a consideration fo...
Stress And Anxiety - Take Charge Of It!
An article uncovering a 'back to basics' approach for stress and anxiety control. It shows that through re-training our mental and physical responses to common ...
Magnetic Energy and DNA
A new magnetic technology has emerged called Smart Magnets. These magnets are not static magnetics but come programmed with different magnetic frequencies. Th...
How To Do Effective Keyword Research To Find Good Niches
Determining a niche should be the first step of a sound business plan. Here are ten steps that you could take to help you find your own niche, literally speaki...
|
Print this page