My Inbox Is Empty

by Elizabeth Frederick

I covered this topic briefly in a post back in November, but I think it’s worth a deeper look.

I’m writing this as I’m about to leave the office on a Friday evening, and I have three emails in my inbox.  All of them have been read, responded to if necessary, and are awaiting resolution next week.

I don’t have a magic wand (or an assistant!) that handles my communication, and I actually do receive quite a few emails every day, but years ago I learned a technique that I find absolutely essential:  as soon as something is processed, I prevent it from being a distraction.

I maintain a somewhat simple list of folders – one for each active client, for example – but you can make it as basic as having a folder labeled “Processed.”  As soon as you have read an email and responded to it appropriately, move it to the “Processed” folder (or appropriate folder from your list) and move on.  If it is something that requires a response from someone else, or further work on your part, leave it in your inbox!  You’ll avoid the stress of looking at a full inbox and wondering what important tasks have been lost in the clutter.

You can even take this a step further and put all of the tasks on your calendar, setting aside an appropriate amount of time for each.  There’s no better feeling, at least for me, than knowing you’re aware of what needs to be done and have planned when you will do it.

One other quick reminder of a tip we’ve all heard before – don’t try to read and respond to every email as it comes in.  It’s much more efficient to set aside time in your day to process your email, and handle it all at once.  If you must keep the little “new message” popup active, consider creating a list of the 3 – 5 people/topics that justify a “drop everything and read this email” reaction.  Once you’ve created the list, stick to it!

What techniques do you use to stay on top of your email?  I’d love to see your suggestions in the comments!