Last week, one of my friends asked, “How do you get through all of your email. It’s killing me. I just can’t seem to get on top of it.” I know the feeling.
Actually, I get asked this question a lot. Despite all the current technology and software tools available, many people are falling further behind with each passing day. They just can’t seem to keep up with the avalanche of digital messages hitting their inbox.
But it is really possible to get caught up on your email and stay caught up? Yes. I’ve done so for years, even as the demands of my job have increased. I’m not bragging; it’s just a fact. But I should warn you: there is no easy fix. Taking control of your inbox means changing your behavior. You must be willing to make the investment.
When you are not on top of your email, you feel out of control. Becoming an email ninja is therefore an essential survival skill. But in my opinion, making the investment is well-worth the effort. When you are not on top of your email, you feel out of control. It is like a dripping faucet that gnaws quietly away at your psyche and your self-confidence. It can also torpedo your career, since people tend to associate responsiveness with competence. Therefore, becoming an email ninja is an essential survival skill.
If I had to boil it all down to four behaviors, I would recommend the following:
- Empty your inbox everyday. This must be your goal. You want to be able to go to sleep with every message processed. That doesn’t mean you answer every message. However, it does mean that you have processed every message. There’s a big difference, as I will explain in a minute.
- Don’t get bogged down, keep moving. The key is that once you start processing your inbox, you must move quickly. Read each message once and answer this question: “Is this message actionable?” In other words, “Am I being asked to do something?” If so, there are only three possible actions:
- Do—take action on the task now. I follow David Allen’s two-minute rule. If I can do what is being requested in less than two minutes, I do it immediately. This gets stuff off your to-do list before it ever gets on it. This has the added advantage of making you look responsive.
- Delegate—pass the task along to someone else. I’m not talking about “passing the buck.” But oftentimes someone else is better equipped to fulfill the sender’s request. Dawson Trotman once said, “I purposed never to do anything others could or would do when there was so much of importance to be done that others could or would not do.” In other words, try to focus on where you add value and offload everything else.
- Defer—consciously decide you will do the task later. This only applies to asks you cannot complete in two minutes or less or can’t delegate to someone else. You can either add the task to your to-do list or schedule an appointment with yourself to complete it. Fortunately, in Entourage, I convert an email message to a task or an event (i.e., appointment) with a single keystroke.
- Delete—determine if you might need the information later. If not, delete it. My own assumption is that if it’s really important, someone, somewhere else in the world, has a copy of it.
- File—if you think you might need the information, file it. But do not create an elaborate set of file folders. This is the single most important piece of advice I can give you. Just file everything in one folder called “Processed Mail.”
If it is more complicated than this, it will lead to procrastination. Trust me on this. You will have to decide, Should I file this under Tami because it is from her or under Max because it is about him? And then what happens if the email covers more than one subject? Do you make copies of the email and put one copy under each folder? Things can get complicated fast.
Forget all of that. File your email in one folder and let your email or system software (e.g., “Spotlight”) find it when you need it. The search capabilities of almost every modern email program will enable you to put your hands on any message whenever it is necessary. It may take you a few minutes longer to find the message using this method, but this is offset by the hours you waste trying to figure out how to file your messages.
- Use keyboard shortcuts and avoid the mouse. The mouse is a horribly inefficient input device. Nearly every mouse action has a keyboard equivalent. In Mac OS X, you can even create keyboard shortcuts for any menu item in any software package. (Check under | System Preferences | Keyboard & Mouse | Keyboard Shortcuts.)
My personal goal is to never use the mouse. Everytime I do, I must take my hands off the keyboard. It doesn’t sound like that would cost you much time, but it adds up. KeyCue is a Mac program that will help you learn the shortcuts for any program. It is worth the investment. Alternatively, you can check the program’s help file and look up “keyboard shortcuts.”
- Let email rules filter the low-priority stuff. If you haven’t discovered email rules, you’re missing a great time-saver. (In both Outlook and Entourage, the select Tools | Rules.) They sounds a little geeky, but they are not that difficult to use. Like everything, it will take a little investment, but it will save you hours of time.
For example, I have a rule that moves email messages I am just copied on to a “CC Mail” folder. I assume that these are lower priority messages. I don’t want them cluttering up my main inbox. I get to them when I can, but it is not high priority.
I also have Bacn folder for email newsletters, receipts, and other automatically-generated reading material. (“Spam” is unsolicited bulk email. “Bacn” is solicited bulk email.) Entourage has a Mailing List Manager that makes this a breeze. And, like CC mail, it keeps it out of my inbox.
If the action is not actionable (i.e., the sender is not requesting that you do something), or not actionable any longer because you have taken action on it, then you have two options.
Do not create an elaborate set of file folders. This is the single most important piece of advice I can give you.
When you first begin processing email as I have described, it will feel slow and cumbersome. You will have to think about each step. But, this won’t last long. You will eventually be able to move through these steps without consciously thinking about what you are doing. Responding in this manner will become second nature. For example, I can usually process about 100 message an hour, which is my typical, daily volume.
Don’t give into despair. You can keep up with email. You don’t have to be a geek. But you will have to make some new commitments and learn some new behaviors. But in the end, a little extra effort will save you time and give you the satisfaction that you are in control of your workflow.
Building Champions has been coaching me since 2002. They have taught me to be more proactive and intentional in both my business and personal life. Visit their Web site to learn more and see their special offer for my blog readers.
Related posts:
In: 
Tags: 
This is a great post — very good tips. For years, I was overwhelmed by email — and you are exactly right. It made me appear ineffective and unresponsive. About a year ago, I cleaned up my act at work. It’s a daily battle, but I’m on the winning side now.
I am about to do the same with my personal email — an even bigger issue. But I can’t wait to have that in order, as well.
A few questions are brewing after reading this post:
1)Are you still only checking Email a couple times a day or have you since changed that behavior?
2)Do you maintain more than one Email account? One for work, one for personal?
3)Do you use the Projects feature in Entourage?
4)Do you archive old messages into archive folders to help manage your Exchange Server volume?
Answers to any/all of these would be helpful. Thanks.
Another tip: don’t check your email as it comes in, because this is a frequent distraction.
Try to check all new email periodically, like once an hour, or twice a day. But don’t just go to email when you see a new one come in.
Perhaps turn off that new-email alert.
You might look less responsive, but you’ll get more real work done.
My name is Colleen Coble and I’m an email-aholic. No email has a chance to grow cold in my inbox because I pounce on it the moment it arrives. LOL
Great tips, Mike, and I really should only check email every hour or so. I really should. Of course I should.
I agree that it’s vital to get to the bottom of your in-box daily. However, I’m a big fan of folders. While filing e-mails by people may get confusing, if you file them by project, it’ll expedite searching for specific e-mails later.
Do you rely on a BlackBerry to stay on top of e-mail or do you do it at your computer?
Have been using the “Processed” folder for close to a year now, and it is great. And that is the folder that gets archived automatically. If I need to find something quick, I use Google Desktop to help me. The “Cc” folder is great too. I’ve been using that for a few months, and it’s wonderful to finally open that up and see a string of ten or so e-mails on an issue that has been solved by someone else. I still have a long way to go, though, in mastering my in-box. Thanks, Mike.
WOW! ‘Cause I took the time to read this “email,” I will be a whole new woman with how I handle ALL my emails. Thank you!
Michael
An interesting post – I have started taking a batch processing approach to my mail.
The question I ask is how you combine this with having a personal device such as an iphone – do you have any experience on how you are managing this?
I would also add that I have also taken on a personal reponsibility to be very careful about when and to whom I send email. Removing my part of the cycle of waste is another way to stop a flood of stuff coming in.
I once worked for someone who expected me to find my emails and his, usually within minutes. Sometimes the requested emails or information had been processed a year before. I downloaded GOOGLEDESKTOP, which is an amazingly fast search tool. Since I have a photographic memory, I close my eyes and envision the email, then “read” or remember specific words from emails that I used as a key word(s). The advantage of GOOGLEDESKTOP includes pulling up the email plus all related documents.
GOOGLEDESKTOP searches INSTANTLY the following on your computer: Email (including Gmail, Outlook, Outlook Express, Netscape Mail, Thunderbird, and Mozilla Mail); Chats (from Google Talk, AOL Instant Messenger, and MSN Messenger); Web history (from Internet Explorer, Firefox, Netscape, and Mozilla); Microsoft Word documents; Microsoft Excel spreadsheets; Microsoft PowerPoint presentations; PDF files; Media files (images, audio, video); Contacts; Calendar appointments; Tasks; Notes; Journal; Zip filesNew! (including content, not just metadata); Text and other files; Password protected Microsoft Office documents (Word and Excel); Secure web pages (HTTPS).
Instead of a Processed Mail folder I use a 3 folder method. Archive, Action, Hold. Action requires me to do something but I can act on it immediately. Hold contains items that are “open situations” but I’m waiting on another party for input. Archive is just the stuff I need to keep.
This is great stuff and I’m sending it your post on to some folks.
Although there is stuff I can use here, I have my own, very different system (hey, you have to use what works for you, right?).
1. Is it something that goes in a pre-set or new subfolder? If yes, file. (I don’t have very many of these; I tend to only create these for major projects. If I need to find something, I use the “Look For” function or sort by date.)
1a. If immediate action is needed, do it. If not, mark unread.
2. If no to #1, read and act on, or keep unread. Since I attend a lot of webinars, I tend to keep the emails w/ registration info unread until the day of the event so I can quickly pull them up @ sign-in time. Or if I’m waiting to hear back from a coworker I’ll keep it unread till resolved.
I’m using Outlook. And I should add a disclaimer that I work in an extremely small office (6 FT and 2 PT) w/ only 4 reports, so I would probably need a more complicated system if we had more staff and/or I had more reports.
You’re a genius! Thank you for these genius email tips!
I love this post Michael. I too, empty my inbox every day. I can’t stand to go to bed with emails sitting there.
Your tips will help me achieve my goals quicker and more effectively.
Thanks so much!
Fabulous advice! As one who has been working hard for months, to rid the clutter from her life, my Inbox is an area that seems to pile up fast.
Thanks for some manageable steps. I’m all over it.
Great post — with some great, practical ideas! I really appreciated this one.
Fantastic solid advice…time to break the habit of a lifetime!
working through the process now – it’s painful – but there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
Simple, practical, and do-able. Thanks so much!
Michael,
Great idea on point #4 above on setting Rules. I just set both of your suggestions.
Thanks for send this link back out on Twitter this morning.
Follow me at http://twitter.com/dareber
Great tips for email… I’ve got to work on the keyboard shortcuts. I’m going to check out the Keycue program you mentioned. I’ve already downloaded it.
Thanks!
more tips to empty your inbox
Had a little exercise here at our Leadership Network staff meeting. The question posed, “how do you keep your email inbox empty?” We had a enthralling conversation about the topic, and even a few dissenting voices that don’t care to…
Michael – great advice. Thanks for paying it forward. Much appreciated from an Organizationally Challenged Person!
Great Post Michael, I recently got my inbox down to zero from about 1600 emails. I will use some of your ideas to keep it that way. Thanks
Michael, do you have your deleted files (trash folder) auto delete after a certain amount of dates or do you keep them forever for future searches?
@Eddy,
I auto-delete at the end of each session.
Mike
Bravo! More power to you (and me)! Your tips are reminiscent of an Outlook training course from http://www.prioritymanagement.com. I use the 4-Ds from them – Do It Now, Decide/Defer, Delegate It, Delete It. The four principles work wonders to my inbox! You would turn emails into tasks/to-dos (with dates), appointments or delete/archive it (with rules).
The email inbox should be treated as the letterbox at home. Emails are to be treated as normal post mail. We wouldn't open our mail, read it, put it back in the envelope and put it back into the letterbox and use that as our repository of to-dos, bills to pay, etc. But that's EXACTLY what we are doing when we open our emails, read it, leave it in the inbox (or mark it unread again), or manage our life/work/tasks from the inbox.
We also frequently forget Pareto's Principle (80/20). 80% of the emails are probably not worth our time on, where 20% of them would be where we need to focus on. Apply whatever percentage you wish but you'll find only a very small proportion of emails will warrant our focus and the rest can be delegated or deleted.
Good luck to everyone on getting inbox to zero!
impossible! inbox zero… ugh…! ;)
i'm an email loser.
I don't have a huge problem with email volume, but I have found out that it has taken over a huge part of my days lately. Thanks for the tips though. They have helped a lot!
Several tools I use: instead of the "tasks" in Outlook, I find that I can keep better track of time commitments by moving an email to my calendar (a day or two before the due date), and then have the Calendar remind me, every morning, of what is "on" for that day. It is easier, I find, than dealing with the Tasks list, which I find requires too much fiddling with. Make sure it reminds you only once a day, or else it becomes as annoying and disruptive as the "new incoming email" reminder–whomever commented to turn it off is spot on. Also, if you are spending an hour a day on your email, how are you billing for that time? That is over 250 hours/year of unbilled time. Take a look at my website for an elegant, efficient, fast and inexpensive solution, if you are interested.
3jvqvw ihcglynlchfr, [url=http://wmesrtowykko.com/]wmesrtowykko[/url], [link=http://tfeiufzdytoi.com/]tfeiufzdytoi[/link], http://oedunacknphh.com/
I saw you post a link to this article on Twitter and it inspired me to clean up my own inbox. Thanks so much!
Mike,
Is there anything that you can't write simple guides to?
I'm beginning to suspect that you wrote all of those "…. for dummies" books!
Great advice. Thanks.
Great stuff, Michael! One of the keys I got is that you must show the sender the respect in acting in a concise manner. Nothing worse than running in to someone asking about whether you got to that email they sent when you haven't. Most of these principles are already in place. Thanks for the reminders!
I have my auto-delete button set for any emails with rainbows, butterflies, puppies or kittens. Then I block anyone who sends me emails telling me I'm going to hell if I don't forward their emails. This seems to help…
"Inbox zero" is indeed a great approach to email. I'm using it since one year and a half and I'm very happy about it. For me, I'm using TaskWriter to keep track of my emails, instead of organizing them into folder I just forward a copy to the proper email address in TaskWriter and then I archive the message.
Great piece. Just deleted over 400 emails. Many more left to process!
I'm using Gmail as a client, any other good webmail options?
@damonparnell No, I don't think so. I really think Gmail is the best.
Love this and often keep my inbox at zero but the file system was too elaborate. Have implemented the Processed Mail folder. THANKS!
This is one of my top favorite blog posts by Michael. I've recommended this to my entire team and have shared it with other organizational leaders. This is a must read and more importantly, a must implement without compromise. Trust me, in my first 30-days of using it I decided to alter a few of the principles and the system broke. You must apply it the way it is defined by Michael without substitute. I've been using it for over 5 months now.
This is my new top priority goal, beginning now. One question I have – what is your process for keeping the cc mail and bacn current? I have a "read later" folder when I put all of that, but I don't have rules set to place it there automatically. It is difficult to keep those empty as well. Do you have an additional process for that?
Thank you so much for these tips. I have never quite gotten a handle on my emails and sometimes they sit there for almost a month when I really could find the time to respond to them. Thanks for the idea to "just do it" today and empty my inbox every night…I'm going to try my best! : )
Deploying immediately. Now, can you help me with the junk drawer? Seriously, great tactical time management advice.
Great post! Does Mail (Mac) have a way to turn an email into a task like Entourage?
Informative post. Thanks…
Thanks for the tips but I don't know how to use the keyboard! I'm too dependent on the mouse I guess I have to learn it from now on, lol.
Thank you so much! This is great advice :)
Few data ago i sent you a DM from twitter. As
far you said you have your inbox in zero, do
i have to supose my email is in the spam folder
or in the non- urgent. Or could be wordt it can be
in the trash folder.
Loved the advice.
My worked moved to a Gmail corporate account, so messages can get multiple labels. Any time I have a new category/project at work, I throw a new label on it and can put as many labels as possible. With Gmail's system, I can instantly search via key words, or through the labels.
Just discovered your blog today. Love the advice/counsel/wisdom. Thanks!
My recent post Sacred Friendships- A Book Review
I have used a slightly adapted version of the 'four Ds' ever since I read this. That is, I took the main principles you outline, but I made some 'tweaks' to suit how I work/the job I do. It has totally changed how I work with email. I've been using my new system for a while now & have recommended it on to others too.
This single post is probably the most practically useful thing I have ever read in the 'social networking' arena. Thanks!