Help! I Can't Keep Up With My Email... 3 Steps for Staying on Top of Your Email Inbox for Good

Are there some days—if not all—when your Inbox feels more like a black hole that you can never get out of??

Do you get anxious every time you look at your Inbox?

If you keep email in your Inbox after reading it, replying to it, or forwarding it, you're not only increasing your email load—and stress and anxiety because of it—you're also losing valuable time and you’re at risk of losing important information (i.e. opportunities, conversations, events, ideas, etc.).

What’s worse… your email brings a lot of to-dos, follow-ups, reminders, and ideas—otherwise known as TASKS.

And not one of those tasks is going to be efficiently or effectively managed while they're STILL sitting in your Inbox.

Sure, you might try to stay on top of things by using one of these tactics…

1. Flagging
2. Marking emails as “unread” so they appear bold in your Inbox
3. Forwarding emails to yourself so they’re at the top of your Inbox
4. Printing emails and putting them on your desk

And whether you use one of these tactics or all four, it’s costing you.

You’re losing time re-reading emails you’ve ALREADY seen, but couldn’t do anything with.

Every time that happens, it can take 60 seconds or more to refresh your memory about why you flagged that email. When you multiply that time by the 20 or 30 emails you may have flagged, because they still need your attention, you’ll waste 30 minutes or more trying to figure out what to do with them.

If you revisit those emails 3 or 4 times, that 30 minutes can turn into 60 or 90 minutes of wasted time.

Flagging emails or any of the previous tactics listed above are silent and sinister time thieves and total show-stoppers for your productivity and progress. As new email rolls in, more emails are flagged, and it gets harder and harder to keep up. It's a never-ending cycle.

So, here’s the real question. How do you get out of the black hole—stress and anxiety-free—and stay on top of email for good?

Manage email with these 3 essential steps…?

1. Establish a Central, Digital Task Management System

Tasks and follow-ups cannot be efficiently or effectively managed unless you can centralize them in a digital task management system where you can prioritize them and plan to take action.

Use the task list in whatever email system you have and start consolidating ALL of your tasks and responsibilities—from everywhere.

The key to making this work is to…

…describe tasks as tiny action steps (extremely small and achievable!)

…give each task a “do” date (NOT a “due” date. But do keep deadlines in mind. ;-))

…add every task you can find from every source (i.e. email, calls, texts, meetings, conversations, etc.).

Take these steps and you’ll have a MUCH easier time of planning and prioritizing tasks. But, don’t leave anything out! If your list is incomplete, it won’t work.

2. Establish Reliable Systems for Reference Information

All too often, professionals are not using the systems available to streamline the storage of their reference information. Are you using yours?

For example, you might leave contact information embedded in emails, which are tucked away in a folder on the left side of the email screen.

This makes it REALLY hard to call someone when you can’t find their number quickly—or at all. And the time it takes to do a search is robbing you of the progress you could be making.

Instead, use the systems around you or create a system for your reference information. For example…

• Use ONE digital Calendar for ALL time commitments.
• Use ONE Contact system for all contact information.
• Use file drawers for specific sets of physical papers and files.
• Use ONE digital location for e-documents, whether in the hard drive or the cloud.
• USE email folders for storing necessary emails Make it a short list! There IS such a thing as over-organizing and it will only waste your time.

Get all reference information out of the Inbox and into the systems that are MEANT for managing that type of information. Create systems you can trust and rely on to find what you need later—and FAST.

3. Get Emails OUT of the Inbox

When you read a new email—for the FIRST time—decide how it’s useful to you. Then move it quickly OUT of the Inbox. This is called “processing” your email.

I’m not saying to DO every task that comes out of each email. Rather, pick and choose what you can do now and what should be planned for action another day.

Processing your email means replying to emails, forwarding emails, filing emails in folders, saving information in the hard drive, saving contact information in Contacts, saving events on the calendar, and putting tasks on your Task List.

This is where most people get it wrong. They either try to do EVERYTHING that comes up in email (think “first come, first served”) OR they skip over the emails that reflect a task or follow-up.

However, most tasks CAN'T be done on the spot. Even if you take a step NOW, you will likely have a follow-up later. Almost ALL emails containing tasks and follow-ups should be placed on your Task List, NOT left in the Inbox.

This is the ONLY way to correctly plan and prioritize your tasks, and stop wasting time looking at the same emails over and over again, day after day after day.

When you have a workday strategy that includes an easy way to manage tasks, information, and email, you’ll be able to get email OUT of the Inbox, get clear on tasks, and move projects forward faster and easier—all without missing, losing, or forgetting anything.

This means a lot less stress and anxiety for you, and no longer feeling stuck in a black hole. Now, doesn't that sound good?

Are you ready to SIMPLIFY your workday and MULTIPLY your PROGRESS, ACHIEVEMENTS, and RESULTS?

If so, get started with our Productive Day QUIZ and find out...

??What's Your #1 Productivity Blind Spot? ??

Once you take this diagnostic quiz, you'll receive your own Unique Results Report.

In this report, you'll find out what your results mean and discover valuable strategies for removing the blind spot so you can gain more time and productivity back in your day.

This is YOUR time to take charge of your workday—once and for all—and gain more clarity, confidence, and control.

Get started today.

??Take the Productive Day Quiz.