Manage Your Email

The United States Postal Service isn’t dead yet but most likely the bulk of your communications with loved ones, colleagues, schools, civic groups, your doctor and most importantly your boss and/or your clients is all being handled by Email. If you don’t send or receive an email each day then you can consider yourself behind the curve.

This electronic means of communication has revolutionized the way we all get and share information. However, it can be useless if we don’t learn to use it properly. We need to maximize the benefits and try to limit the negative effects of this life tool. The first and the easiest thing that you should do is limit “Junk” mail. For years you have gotten sales flyers at your home advertising for something that you have no interest in buying. Now you get even more of these trying to get your attention and your money in your inbox. You’re in luck though, because you can unsubscribe to these automatic emails just by clicking on a link at the bottom of the email. It’s usually very small print and sometimes they ask you why you want to unsubscribe. Just do it.

I promote (and try to adhere to) a policy of “Zero Inbox.” What I mean by that is try and address those emails that need your attention as quickly as possible. That doesn’t mean that you have performed every task associated with the email. Maybe you add a date and time to your calendar when you are going to take care of this task or maybe you add it to your list of things to do. But the point is to read the email and take the next step right away and then get rid of it.

Well, give these two ideas a try and see if your emails don’t become a little more manageable.

Jwb