What’s the first thing you do in the morning? If you’re like 80% of smartphone users, you’re checking your phone before you brush your teeth. What’s your app of choice though? If you said emails, you’re not alone, many people check their emails first to make sure they didn’t miss anything in your sleep.
Keeping up with emails can seem like a full-time job in its self. Getting your inbox to work with you doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task and here are our tips on how to tackle it.
Get Your Emails in the Right Place
If you’re just leaving all your emails in your inbox, you are doing yourself a serious disservice. It’s not only visually overwhelming but it makes even the most under control ‘to-do’ list seem daunting. Start by keeping only the emails that need your immediate attention in your inbox. This allows them to act as an extension of your to-do list, instead of a hindrance.
For all emails that require action but are pending information from someone else, create a waiting folder. All other emails should be moved to sub-folders and though you likely have a backlog, if you commit to moving a month or two worth of emails every week, you’ll check up quickly.
Add Follow-up Reminders to Your Calendar
If you get an email that requires follow-up, to-dos, or other tasks, add them to your calendar. Once you’ve done that you can move the email to its appropriate folder. This helps keeps your to-do list manageable remotely as well.
Unsubscribe. Unsubscribe. Unsubscribe.
You know that newsletter you subscribe to and now you get three emails a day from them? Unsubscribe. That store you purchased something from and autofill used your work email? Unsubscribe. Getting these type of emails out of the way allows for a more focused day without notifications popping up on every device you own.
Fast Track Your Favorite Responses
While every email deserves special attention and consideration, not every response necessarily does. If you’re constantly sending the same response 3-4 times a day consider creating templates for those. Depending on your email client, try adding those responses either as a signature template or keep a saved copy in your drafts to copy and paste. This will help keep you moving efficiently throughout the day.
Going through your emails with a critical eye can be a clarifying process. If this process makes you realize you might be ready for a new opportunity, reach out, we’re hiring around the country!
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