Two Simple Rules To Get Control Of Your
Email
All email is not
created equal, and by creating a strategy to identify the types of email you
have, you can tame your inbox.
While an overflowing inbox is
undoubtedly overwhelming, the emails it contains are not created equally, says
organization expert Claire Diaz-Ortiz. In her book Design Your Day: Be More
Productive, Set Better Goals, and Live Life on Purpose, she says creating a
strategy and identifying the types of email you have can help you tame your
inbox.
"At face value, it seems like email is the biggest blow to
productivity the world has ever seen. But first impressions can be
deceiving," she writes. The first step is to know the two rules of email,
and understanding these "truths" will explain why some email
management systems work and some don’t.
Real productivity is about
managing your energy, not your time.
1.
Handle It In Bulk. Reading and responding to email
in one sitting or at designated times of day helps you be as productive as
possible, because switching between tasks robs you of 40% of your productivity,
writes Diaz-Ortiz. Avoid the drain by doing it all at once. List
"email" as a task on your schedule, checking it once a day or at two
or three preplanned times, such as noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
2.
Do It When You Have Low Energy.
Real productivity is
about managing your energy, not your time, says Diaz-Ortiz. "Times of peak
energy should be used for the most difficult things on your plate, and those
that require intense focus. The vast majority of the time, that is not email,"
she writes. This means checking your email first thing in the morning is a bad
idea; this time should be reserved for your most difficult tasks and those that
require a fresh mind.
While email doesn’t produce tangible results, it is a necessary
part of worklife. Once you understand the rules, Diaz-Ortiz says thinking of
email in categories will help you handle each one accordingly:
Daily or urgent emails include live projects that require quick
attention or urgent requests for help or information that directly impact your
own workflow or productivity. Daily emails also include life-changing emails,
such as a request from the media or an exciting business opportunity.
"Inner circle emails" are messages from your friends or clients that
give you energy, and these are also on the daily list. "We all need
circles—and emails—like these," Diaz-Ortiz writes.
"At face value, it
seems like email is the biggest blow to productivity the world has ever seen.
But first impressions can be deceiving."
Handle daily emails in bulk and on the day they are received
during one of your designated email periods. Be careful not to put all work
projects into your daily list. "If a project is far off, in incubation
stage, or on the back burner, it doesn’t require such vigilance in your life,
or in your email inbox," Diaz-Ortiz writes.
Weekly emails are usually about another person’s agenda, and you
don’t require prompt attention. They may include queries from people who want
your help on something, pitches to do a job you may or may not want to do, or
questions that aren’t urgent in responding to, writes Diaz-Ortiz.
"Email is a fishbowl
of semi-distracted people pinging each other back and forth ad infinitum."
These are emails you likely do want to respond to, but should not
do so on a daily basis if you want to get your own work done. Handle these
emails once a week. You can put them into a separate email folder to easily
identify and sort them.
These emails don’t require any attention or action. This kind of
email could be a status update, an email that you’re copied on, a subscription
email or an unsolicited request.
"We all have different standards for what these may be, and
their volume varies greatly on whether or not you are someone who receives a
regular stream of unsolicited emails," Diaz-Ortiz writes. Never emails
should be deleted.
"Email is a fishbowl of semi-distracted people pinging each
other back and forth ad infinitum," writes Diaz-Ortiz. By practicing
"real emailing," devoting a chunk of time to handling them in bulk,
you will avoid the overwhelm you will no doubt feel if you tackle email by
sending one-off responses from your phone while you try to finish your work.
STEPHANIE VOZZA http://www.fastcompany.com/3058902/your-most-productive-self/two-simple-rules-to-get-control-of-your-email?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fast-company-daily-newsletter-featured&position=2&partner=newsletter&campaign_date=04162016
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