Have you spent hours everyday hunting for lost emails or email threads? Have you missed Important deadlines? Maybe you dread going into your Outlook Inbox all together. If that is the case for you then you will find relief from the frustration and anxiety of missing deadlines or important messages by implementing this basic process for Email Management, the first step to a more efficient Outlook Inbox.
As a Virtual Expert® specializing in Microsoft 365, I am trained in utilizing Microsoft 365 as a solution to today’s business management challenges. Nearly every day I hear someone say, “I HATE Microsoft Outlook!”. I thought that today, I would share with you an easy process for addressing your Inbox inefficiencies.
Address your Outlook Inbox Daily
By following this basic approach to addressing your Outlook Inbox daily, you can avoid having an inbox that is unmanageable. Truly, if you do this one Email Management tip, consistently, you will realize the time-saving benefits within your first week. Who does not love saving time?
Initiating Good Email Habits
When it comes to creating new habits for working efficiently the key is to be consistent. To manage your Outlook Inbox efficiently, I recommend that you do this (and I promise you that you can); set aside time 2x a day to check your Outlook Inbox. Honestly, you can get so that managing your inbox takes 15 minutes twice a day.
The Process is Simple
Trust me, you are going to laugh at how ridiculously easy this was. Good email management practices do not have to be hard. In fact, you can have a more efficient Outlook Inbox in just 30 minutes a day.
Do I Tackle it, Table It or Trash It? This is the question you ask yourself for each email you review (a lot of times this can be done just by looking at the sender and the subject line)
- TACKLE IT: Just take care of it right there and then. If it is something easy to take care of, then hit Reply and you are done.
- TABLE IT: There are those emails that you know will take a little work but not necessarily right this moment. Table it-set aside that email (preferably in your Needs Attention folder) until your scheduled FOCUS Time (if you do not schedule FOCUS time on a daily basis-consider this your challenge for the week).
- TRASH IT: Just click that delete button (oh the satisfaction it gives one). Trash the endless backlog of newsletters you do not remember signing up for (take 30 seconds and unsubscribe before you delete it), Advertisements, unsolicited offers, and things you have already responded to, like the email you responded to last year and kept it “just in case”. I recommend once a month purges of your inbox.
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Leave a comment below if you have any questions or thoughts on Inbox Optimization, I would like to hear from you. What challenges are you having in taming your Outlook Inbox?
All the Best,
Patricia
