Did you decide its time to work towards Inbox Zero but you aren't sure how to go about it?
It can be very overwhelming depending on how many emails have piled up in there.
Get Control of your Inbox:
- Move all of your messages from your inbox to a folder labeled "Clean up"- Now this doesn't mean that you will let this folder sit there with your messages in there. This is so that you feel good about inbox zero and take care of your incoming mail immediately. Refer back to the post on Inbox Zero on how to take action on the messages that come in.
- Create Folders anticipating the Move- I have a folder labeled CLIENTS then subfolders of the client last name or property street name if its a listing. You may also stop here and think about what else you know you'd like to keep - and how to organize them. IE: Keep (I put login confirmations, passwords etc there) , Print (things sometimes stay here for a while, but things I think I'd like to print someday), Prospects, etc. (Not all of my folders, I have a lot that are automa
tically filled with filtered messages - another topic). - Make Friends with the DELETE button - (You already know you can select a group of messages with click, shift and click, right?)
a. Organize by Subject - Most programs allow you to click on the toolbar above the messages to organize in that category - so click on Subject. By doing this you can delete junk, messages about last years summer vacation plans, jokes, etc. DELETE, DELETE, DELETE.
b. Organize by Sender - If Aunt Mary is always sending you the political jokes, etc. you can easily just DELETE DELETE DELETE the bulk of her emails. - Moving, Moving, Moving - Toggle between organize by Subject & Sender while you move emails into the folder you created above that you'd like to keep.
- Respond - then - DELETE - Go ahead and type a one paragraph max note back to the old emails that have grown spider webs while you get a second to reply. Then... DELETE!
- Operation Inbox Complete - If you haven't done any of the above with what is left - the rule is they all get the DELETE button! Gone!
You can clean your folder in spurts if its large like mine.... sometimes I'll even DELETE through while on the telephone - if it doesn't take much thought process. Multi tasking - but whatever it is - just get it done !!!
Great tips Kim ! I actually started doing this to my inbox yesterday ! OMG, there were so many flagged messages and I thumbed through over 500 emails flooding my inbox. Crazy !
Hey, I was doing great a month ago, I got a new computer. LOL It was easy to keep clean, Kim you have to download xombi, I did last week, finally and I love it. All my stuff is right there for each person I emailed sorta like gmail, but for outlook.
Kim: You've got some great ideas. I really need to clean up my email... so I am going to read your first inbox zero post... and try and re-gain control. Thanks so much for sharing.
yes ,, that is a great tip , that will keep your Mailbox nice and clean
Melissa, Yay! Wait... thumbed through 500 emails? You took action on those, right??? Ok... I'll continue clapping now.
Missy, It happens so fast!!! I'll check out xombi! Thank you! Always taking care of me, aren't you :)
Karen, Good!! Let me know how it goes :
Georg, So get on it - Georg - you too!!! Have at it :)
I get my emails on my Blackberry too, I can clean out my home/office mailbox when I'm out and about. That seems to help, a little. :)
This is a great blog, as many people get overwhelmed with the size of their inbox. I, personally, am a neat freak, even in my e-mail...I hate clutter! Other suggestions:
I love your suggestion for respond/delete. If you have addressed it, and it is not client related, why keep it?
Thanks for the blog!
Jen, That definitely helps ! Thank you for sharing that!!!
Scott, You win my one of my BEST COMMENT IN A LONG TIME award! haha..... A great way to add to my post with your ideas - and I appreciate that! I like the "Actionable" folder and the hotmail for junk mail :) Good idea!!! Thanks for dropping by!
You've just solved one of my biggest problems. I never thought of a print folder. Ingenious!! Now I can move so many from my inbox over to there. Thanks Kim :-)
Gret tips for cleaning up the clutter, I think many of us rely on having all our emails saved and it makes us a bit lazy by not having to label and process everything.
Kim, I needed this post as I have to work harder with the DELETE function and moving some messages to other folders. Thanks.
I started doing it a couple of months ago. I have not made a lot of progress on "clean up" but some and my inbox is more manageable.
Kim - good going! I'd like to mention that in Outlook, you can change the subject of emails you've received. This helps when someone sends you an email with a blank subject line, or one that isn't related to the email.
All you have to do is click in the subject line and type the new subject. Save the email. That's it!
I dedicate 30 minutes each day to my inbox to categorize various emails and respond to the more urgent ones. Then I give the task an hour on Saturday and Sunday. That usually gets my inbox cleaned up for the start of the week. It's a tactic left over from my office desk days. I had the cleanest desk in the office and was never behind on my work.
Kris - I've thought about posting about what folders I use. One of these days :) Glad that helped.
Freddy - If I could stay away from clutter it would be a good thing :)
Gary- Yes, we all should get to be better friends with the DELETE button :)
Maureen - Yay! It is hard to stay on top of, that's for sure
Jackie - That is a great tip!!! You should post that quick tip for people! What a great way to help stay organized.
Russel - That is discipline! I love it!
NEW TIP that I just discovered!!! You can set rules in Outlook to send inbound e-mails to specific folders, rather than have them come into the inbox until you get around to moving them manually.
This is handy when you get reference e-mails regularly that you may not necessarily want to read, but want to hold onto for reference. For example, I just set up my inbox to automatically transfer my weekly updates e-mail from the local RE board to its own folder as soon as it arrives; I did the same for the weekly minutes e-amail from the office meetings. Until today, I would have to transfer them manually when they arrived.
You've inspired me to clean house!
One thing I have learned with the full Inbox is that you have to look at it every day. It will quickly get out of hand if you let it. I work on this constantly. Thanks for the information.