Nov 26 2007
An Email Organization System that Works
Do you struggle with keeping your email organized? People usually fall into one of two categories:
- Organizing email to death with dozens of folders
- Keeping thousands of emails in the inbox with no system whatsoever
My old system consisted of keeping my “to-do” emails in an unread status to remind me that I still had work to do. The problem with that is that sometimes those emails get unintentionally clicked and revert to “read” status, which means my reminder is gone. My day is much too busy to use the extensive folder system, but I do know people who use it and they seem to spend a lot of time filing items they will likely never need again.
The solution? A 3-folder system within an email program like Outlook or Gmail that contains a search function. This idea comes from Gina Tripani at Lifehacker, and I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks with good success.
Why only 3 folders?
- Archive is for anything you want to keep but do not need to access regularly. By using the Search function in your email program, you will easily be able to find the email about widgets by simply typing in “widgets”
- Action is part of your to-do list. If you need to perform a task, put the email in your Action folder. Check it several times a day and prioritize your work as needed. Move items to archive or delete as you finish them.
- Hold is where you keep action items awaiting response from someone else. Again, you will check this one regularly and move items out as you get the necessary information needed.
The goal is to keep your inbox empty and your mind clearly focused on what needs to be done. Too many times we keep unnecessary items, which makes it harder for us to see what we really need to do. My husband calls this “nesting” and he says I’m a pro. I guess I never realized the habit had seeped into my email box. That is, until I had 782 emails in my inbox.
This system is working great for me, and I have an empty inbox for the first time in…well, ever. Try it yourself and see if it works as well for you.
[Note: You can number your folders to keep them together on the dropdown list (1-Archive, 2-Hold, 3-Action) - that’s what I did]
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