Take Back Your Time - Try the Inbox Zero Hero Challenge

The struggle I witness more than anything else for my clients and myself, too, is time. There never seems to be enough, and clients ask how to find more of it. In fact, I know some people who tell me their Inbox is so far gone that they dread?ever?trying to get it under control.

If this is you, and your Inbox is a disaster, try the 5-Day Inbox Zero Hero Challenge, then follow the rules below as your new habit going forward. You'll feel so much more accomplished.

Start Your New Email Management Habit

?

When you open your email for the first time each day, remind yourself of your new rules. Stick to them consistently, and the time you spend dealing with your Inbox will be drastically reduced.

Your Inbox should contain only actionable items. Each day your goal will be to either discard, move, or address each email. Part of the “addressing” will be to unsubscribe from any lists you’re no longer interested in rather than archiving them. Your archive folder will be your storage for articles, etc. that you want to read soon but when time allows.

When you consistently follow your new email management rules, you’ll have an efficient daily workflow and no longer feel overwhelmed.

?

Rule #1 – Archiving

Create and use an Archive folder for emails you want to save but don’t have time for right now. (Remember, only actionable items should remain in your Inbox.)

?

Rule #2 - Use Folders & Subfolders

In my case, my next most important folder after my Inbox is called “Clients.” Under “Clients,” I have sub-folders with each client’s name. Another important folder is called “Fingertips.” This is where I keep emails containing receipts, tickets, and expiring offers, like coupons. When pressed for time, I can quickly locate them.

?

Rule #3 - Touch Each Email Only Once

Most of us will never be perfectly efficient, but if you at least attempt to deal with an email only once, you?will?save time!

I often receive 30 to 50 emails overnight. The next morning as I sip my coffee with my iPhone in hand, I sort my Inbox to see only “Unread.” I then start at the top and immediately flag all the new emails I want to send to remove. Click “Trash.” Done!

I then have only the items I want to deal with that morning when I start my workday, or that I moved to Archive for later relaxed reading.

?

Rule #4 - Delete Junk Mail Immediately

What you recognize as spam or junk email that may have slipped through, delete immediately. Remember the “touch it only once” rule above.

?

Rule #5 - Employ the Two-Minute Rule

If you can easily compose your thoughts and respond to an email within two minutes, go ahead and handle it immediately. If not, move the email to the appropriate folder (or delete it).

??

Rule #6 - Set Inbox Rules or Filters

This will help block the noise and?ensure you aren’t distracted by sales promotions, newsletters, payment-due notices, suggested readings, etc. You may even choose to turn off all email notifications if you know you will consistently check your Inbox at predetermined intervals.

??

Rule #7 - Create FAQs/Canned Responses

Do you find you often reply to similar questions using similar answers? Create canned responses or templates from which you can copy and paste as a time-saver. I store my template emails in a “Drafts” folder.

?

Rule #8 - Set Aside Time Blocks for Checking Email

Everyone’s day differs, but to start with you could plan for three 30-minute time blocks to read, respond, or move emails. Removing or silencing notifications will help diminish any temptation to divert from this task until this becomes a habit (see Rule 6 above).

When I onboard a new client, I let them know that I consistently check my Inbox every two hours. Not only is it efficient for me, but it helps set client expectations. If there is something extremely timely and a client needs my attention, they know they can always phone me.

?

Rule #9 - Lump Your Emails

Once you’ve swept through your Inbox and are ready to attack the actionable items, sort your Inbox (in my case, for instance, by client name) to view what you need to work on in that one sitting. Once that business is cleared up, move on to the next client or project.

?

Rule #10 - Save Mundane Tasks for Downtime

When your email accounts are synced to your phone, you can easily perform the nearly mindless task of sorting emails while standing in line at the grocery store, or while enjoying that first cup of coffee before starting your workday.

??

Reading & Responding Tips

?

It’s important to remember to slow down when reading emails so you absorb the necessary information and avoid potential misunderstandings. I can’t tell you how many times in past jobs when I’ve answered something only to be questioned again because the recipient scanned the email quickly and missed the pertinent information.

At the same time, when replying to an email, use as few words as possible to get your point across. (This helps you avoid the above situation!) I often use bullet points or bolding to keep things clear and focused for the recipient.

?

BONUS TIP - If you have an important subject to convey to multiple recipients - something like alerting customers to your upcoming vacation, or adding a link to your appointment calendar - why not add it to your email signature?

Vickie Harding-Wakeen is a virtual assistant and founder of MyVirtualGal?.? She works exclusively with small professional service companies and creative solopreneurs