There’s nothing quite like starting a new year with a clean slate. For some, this might mean finally tackling all of those unread emails in what feels like a never-ending inbox. While the idea of “inbox zero” might not be realistic for everyone, that’s not to say you can’t get your inbox in tip-top shape so that it works for you in an efficient manner.
Emails are necessary for communicating with clients, partners, and prospects. In fact, you may receive hundreds of emails per day, leaving you overwhelmed at the idea of sifting through to find the important, actionable items amidst the noise.
If your inbox could use an overhaul, here are a few steps to getting your emails under control for a more productive 2021.
Start with a triage, if necessary.
Before you can organize everything, you might need to first address all of the unread emails in your inbox. Start by running through and deleting all junk emails. You know the ones — their subjects are often shelling discounts or touting new products available.
While you’re at it, go ahead and unsubscribe from any emails that you never open. That way, you can set yourself up for success by limiting the number of emails that even make it into your inbox. It might not feel like much work to delete a bunch of emails every day, but all of those micro-decisions add up to a lot of stress over time.
Develop a folder hierarchy.
Once you’ve cleaned your inbox of junk, it’s time to set your sights on organization. A logical system of folders helps to store emails that you’ve already addressed, but want to keep on file. Ultimately, your inbox should only store real-time action items that need your attention. Everything else should be filed away for easy access.
First, create some top-level folders that can be broken down later. I personally prefer to work chronologically, so I create a folder for each year with subfolders for each client and administrative tasks, like taxes, legal, and payroll communications. Of course, you’ll want to find a hierarchy that works for you — maybe you prefer having high-level task folders that have annual subfolders.
While the structure is up to you, it’s only valuable if you actually use the folders. Commit to filing every single email in your inbox other than those you are actively working on. This may take a bit of time upfront, but will quickly become second-nature once your inbox is free of clutter.
Be mindful of time management.
You know those mornings when you open your inbox and, suddenly, it’s been an hour and you haven’t gotten much done? It’s easy to get suckered into emails, especially when they’re coming in so quickly, so it’s important to set firm boundaries with your inbox. Much like having office hours for clients, set your own personal office hours to address emails. When you respond to emails as a batch, you can fully dedicate your attention to that single task as opposed to constantly multi-tasking when balancing daily tasks with email management.
When you set your email hours is completely up to your schedule, but try to keep it limited to several hours a day. Maybe it’s something you do at the beginning and end of each day, or perhaps it’s a post-lunch activity to transition back to work. However you decide, you’ll be pleased to find that your workday is more productive (and less stressful!) without the constant distraction of new emails.
Manage new emails strategically.
At the end of the day, your inbox should act as a to-do list of items that need to be addressed. When you’ve reached that point, you’ll only have to manage the emails that come in on any given day. Again, delete (and unsubscribe from) any sales emails you don’t care to read. Then, focus on one email at a time, starting with the quick and easy ones that you can reply and file right away. This should leave your inbox with only with the pressing matters that will take time.
Review each one and consider how long it will take to address each one. Based on this knowledge, go to your calendar and actually map out blocks to complete each one. While it might seem unnecessary, this strategy helps to ensure that you are timely in your responses without letting anything fall through the cracks.
Email management certainly isn’t the most exciting business task, but it will put you in a position to be more productive and driven in 2021. Once you get through the upfront work of cleaning house and organizing your folders, your daily email procedures will be simple and seamless, leaving you more time in your schedule to focus on the work you love most.
Elizabeth Sheils is the co-founder of Rock Paper Coin, the first software platform to bring together wedding planners, couples, and vendors into one system for managing and paying contracts and invoices. Elizabeth is also a lead wedding planner with award-winning firm Bridal Bliss, where she manages the Seattle team. She was recently recognized by Special Events in its Top 25 Event Pros to Watch series.