― Molly Harper, Nice Girls Don’t Date Dead Men
- Do – if you can do something with that email, then, by all means, do it. Once you have completed whatever the task was associated with the email, file it away in its folder.
- Delegate – if the email can be delegated or assigned to someone else, immediately forward that email on with a note to inform you when that task has been completed. Then, file it away.
- Defer – if it is an email that can wait, is not urgent or important, and there is no need for immediate action, then you can defer a response to another time. Then, file it away.
- Delete – this is one of my favorite things to do as I clean up any spam or junk mail, or emails that say Thank You to a previous email and contains a long conversation thread. (I prefer to yell out a Thank You instead of cluttering up someone’s inbox if the email is internal.)
3. Set up a time for uninterrupted focus on email
I know this seems impossible to do when you are working on your “Multitasking Queen” title, but trust me, if you are doing the other two steps, this should not take you more than 30 minutes a day. I prefer to do mine right when I get in to work. I usually check my emails before I get out of bed with sleep-laden, groggy eyes—please don’t do that. I am trying to break the habit. But, seriously, pick a time that works for you and focus on organizing emails before it gets out of control.
Just follow these three simple, useful steps to get started. You will find a system that will work for you, and it will save you a lot of frustration and stress. An organized email system is crucial to getting the right things done—every time.
