There are so many different theories on email organization. Should we be shooting for inbox zero? Should we use our inbox as a to-do list? Tags? Folders? The options go on and on. Today I want to share with you how I keep my inbox under control and give you some ideas for how to approach what is arguably the most important digital space in our professional lives.
Accounts, accounts, accounts
Be in charge of what comes into your inbox
Email as a to-do list?
In a previous post I talked about my end of week routine. I explained that I use Trello as my to-do list manager and therefore, I try to avoid letting emails sit in my inbox as a reminder. I will star a few items throughout the day if I need to gather more information before responding or talk to someone else first. My thought process goes something like this:
- Can I respond now? If so, reply immediately
- Is this detailing a new task I need to take care of and doesn’t require a response? If so, put it in Trello and file the email
- Does this just not require a response? If so, file it
- Will I be able to respond today with more information? If so, star it and leave it in the inbox
Folders
I mentioned that I “file” emails. I am a folder girl. I love to have folders and subfolders because it makes it easier for me to find emails quickly when I need to refer to them. I will say that if my email that I use for work had a better search function I wouldn’t be as inclined to use so many folders. For my work I have a folder for each client, an administrative folder, a catch all folder, and a few other categories that are relevant and helpful.
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