Rarely do I open my e-mail and think, “Alright! This is going to be good!” Rather, new unread messages at the top of my inbox often evoke an audible groan, or at a minimum, sense of burden and stress.
We just get too many e-mails in a day. Requests at work, messages from mom and a constant flow of e-mail newsletters or blog feeds become overwhelming.
So, here is the secret to staying on top of your inbox (and not groaning inwardly or audibly) each time you get a new e-mail:
Delete all unread or unresponded to e-mails after 30 days.
It sounds incredibly cut-throat, but if it was important enough to get to in the last month, you would have. You’re busy, and there are likely a mountain of requests on top of that one, so they need to go.
You will be surprised at the relief you feel when you finally hit delete, I promise!
And, if it truly was vital, there’s a good chance the request will come again.
Feeling guilty? I understand. But you’re busy, you only have 24 hours in the day (technically only 8 should be spent at work) and you simply can’t do it all. Somewhere between 1994 and 2014 it became established that we must respond to every e-mail that comes in, but the fact is that you simply can’t!
So be free! Eliminate the bottom 2/3 of your inbox! And feel a little less stress each time you get that new message notification!
And, ready for a few more tips to keep the remaining messages manageable? Just click here for the Top 4 Tips for a Manageable Email Inbox!
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I found taking three to five minutes at the start of my shift allowed me to review any E-mail that had come in since the end of the previous day. It’s more efficient t to deal with the critical matters right then and put the proverbial balls back in others’ courts so you can move forward with your own day’s action items. Then, just before closing up shop, spend your last few minutes reviewing and responding to whatever came in over the course of the day, so you can start the next day fresh. This way, you aren’t bombarded with unnecessary, unrelated messages. Developing the habit of dealing with things daily saves you boatloads of time and energy that could be spent t to accomplish your goals in a more effective and efficient manner. Good luck!