7 Mistakes I made organizing my email account

Email is a super important tool for both your personal and professional life. But it can also be a major pain in the butt. Like most things in life, it all depends on how you use it.

So, here are the most common mistakes that people make when they're trying to organize their emails. If you avoid these challenges, email can be a powerful platform for facilitating communication without causing you any extra stress.

1. Replying to everyone

How many times have you been included in an email chain that just keeps going and going and going? Chances are it happens a lot more often than you'd like, and it can be super frustrating. While "Reply all" is a useful tool for many situations, it can become overwhelming if you're not careful. The problem is that many people use it when they don't need to. Using it without thinking about who really needs to be in the email communication can quickly fill up your inbox (and that of others). You'll end up receiving tons of emails throughout the day that you don't really care about, and then have to filter them out to spend time on the emails that are important. So, before you hit "reply all," take an extra minute to consider who really needs to be involved. In many cases, you'll find that the original sender is key but others can be removed. This can save you time on organization in the long run.

2. Sending emails that aren't necessary

Most people use email regularly - in fact, 72% of people prefer email communication over other channels. People tend to default to email without really thinking about other options. But email isn't always the best medium for all situations. For example, if you want to send a quick "thank you" and don't require a response, you might choose an instant messaging platform that you already use. If you're struggling to keep things short and sweet, then maybe the message is too complex for email. Think about giving the person a call or seeing if you can arrange a quick conversation. Maybe you need to set up a video conference where you can do a demo or walk through a document. Sending emails that aren't easily understood can lead to lots of replies, which can create a lengthy (and time-consuming) thread. So, before you hit "send," make sure email is the best format for what you're trying to say.

3. Attaching files after you've sent the email

How many times have you sent an email, only to realize that you forgot to attach the file you wanted to include? Of course, you can always send a follow-up email, but that'll add even more emails to manage for both you and the recipient. Then, recipients may respond to the original or they may respond to the one with the attachment. Plus, it can give off some unprofessional vibes. It's a much better strategy to ensure the documents you wanted to include are attached before you even begin the message. Get in the habit of attaching the relevant files as soon as you open the email and start writing. Don't wait until the end of your message, when it becomes an afterthought that's more likely to be forgotten. Plus, this gives you a second chance to go back and review everything at the end. That way you can ensure that not only is the necessary document attached, but that it's the correct one. Sending incorrect attachments can also be viewed as unprofessional and lead to more back-and-forth via email. Plus, in some situations, it can be a bigger problem (for example, if you're dealing with sensitive health information and you send the wrong person's information).

4. Ignoring the "Delay send" option

It feels great to send off an important email and get it off your plate, but there's also some risk involved. That's why many clients now offer a super useful "delay" or "scheduled send" function. Using this option has implications for overall organization, how you run your workday, and also work/life balance and work relationships. For example, say you're catching up on email late at night. You write several important drafts pertaining to a few different topics. Your clients or other stakeholders are not likely to be working at the same time. If you send the email at that time, you can imply that you expect a response - which some people will see as an intrusion - or you can assume they won't respond and you'll get a reply in the morning. By that time this information won't be fresh in your mind and you'll be dealing with multiple emails piling up from your late-night sends. Plus, if you work within a team, it's better manners to wait until a time when people are more likely to be able to take action on something. You don't want to set an expectation that you expect people to be working at midnight just because you chose to. In these cases, it makes sense to use a scheduling option to send the email the following morning. Another way to use this feature is to send important points when they are more relevant. For instance, you might schedule a set of reminders to go out to meeting attendees before your next meeting. Or, you might schedule a recap of your last meeting to go out prior to the next one. In this way, you don't have to dig through your inbox looking for this information - it'll be at the top of everyone's inbox right when they need to review it. Scheduling an email to arrive at a certain time provides a lot of flexibility for managing your time and organizing your workload more effectively.

5. Unorganized subject lines

While it might seem like a small detail, a subject line can make a huge difference. Not only is it the gateway to your content, and what people will use to decide whether to read your email or not, but it's key for understanding what is in your inbox at a glance. Obviously, you can't control what other people put in their subject lines. That being said, you should try to be as organized as possible with your own. Keeping subject lines in mind as you create emails throughout the day will help you to group your emails and see what is most important. Most of today's email platforms group threads by subject line, so even if you forward a note to another party, if the subject line is the same, it will be visible in your thread. That means it can be counterproductive to forward something and change the subject line. Furthermore, a clear subject line lets readers know what to expect, so they are more likely to respond faster to important communications. A good subject line is short and consists of a few keywords to let readers know what the email is about. If there is an important deadline, consider including it. If there is an action to be taken by a certain time, you may want to highlight that. If the email is urgent, you should mention that. If it pertains to a meeting, you should include the meeting title or date. Tailored subject lines help everyone to organize their email and prioritize them accordingly.

6. Poor cybersecurity

Email accounts can be an easy target for cybercriminals. Research shows that a ton of people have had their information accessed by cybercriminals, and that number probably won't decrease anytime soon. Most of these instances are caused by human error, and not being as cautious with online platforms as one should be. It's actually pretty simple to practice good cyber security with email, but many people don't take the time. One of the biggest mistakes people make is using "bcc" (blind carbon copy) in an email with sensitive information. Anyone cc'd on an email could be exposed to data breaches, even people who have been blind copied. Furthermore, when sending private information like bank details, it's safest to do so in separate exchanges. Email the information through a password-protected document if you are able to, then send the password in a different channel. At least this way, if hackers do get into email, it'll be more difficult to access that sensitive information.

7. Not using rules and other email client features

Most email platforms come with a bunch of features to help you get organized. Some people make use of those rules for an effective email system, while others don't. To begin with, it's important to move mail into labeled folders. At a minimum, you should have folders categorized in a way that makes sense to you (by client, project, deadlines, etc). Set up the folder structure in whatever way feels organic to you and the way you work. We also suggest converting emails into tasks when appropriate. Too often, we keep emails around longer than necessary because they serve as a reminder to do something. If your email allows you to mark an email as a task, try making better use of that functionality. It's also a good idea to create rules that will automatically file or archive certain emails. Many platforms let you set up rules that will automatically sort items into specific folders or even delete emails from particular senders. For example, you can flag emails from your boss with a follow-up reminder so you don't forget to respond asap. Ideally, you would be moving these emails around anyway based on categories, so why not take advantage of functionality that does it for you? If you explore your email provider, you'll see there are a lot of options for streamlining various email processes and saving time on organization. One of the biggest email organization mistakes you could make is not becoming familiar with these options and continuing to manually categorize and sort emails every day.