In Part I of this topic, we discussed some resolutions you have to make before embarking on a plan to take control of your email. We also talked about the fundamental ways to organize your view of your inbox, and the folders to use for processing and storing email.
Now, let’s talk about how to really make this new system work for you.
First, you must decide when to work your new system. Your options are:
- As emails come in (i.e. in “real-time”) – best for people with Blackberrys and all-day access to a computer
- At scheduled intervals each day – best for people in a lot of meetings, managing teams, and leading organizations
If you plan to act on all email as it comes in, you simply do that. In a later post, I will cover some useful tips for making this easier on a Blackberry.
The best way to stay on top of email is to schedule regular time to work your new system. I highly recommend:
- 45 min. – 1 hour at the beginning of the day
- 45 min. – 1 hr. at the end of the day
When you take time like this, it’s best to block off your schedule, sign out of IM, and only take the calls you must take. That way, you know in your mind that you have a dedicated time each morning and late afternoon to “catch-up” on email (or, work your new system!).
I also recommend blocking 2-4 hours once per week to process the email in your “Read/Review” folder (if you remember, those were all the emails, attachments, video emails etc. that you will dedicate time to later.
Dedicating time like this might be hard, and it may sound extreme, but it’s the fastest way to an empty inbox and less email stress!
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