Too many emails? How to deal with them.
So how do I manage that ridiculous number of emails? I can't some days. Some weeks I want to ignore it and maybe eventually I will just hire a gatekeeper, but their are some basic things you can do to keep that number a little lower.
- Don't use your inbox as a task list. I did this for years and trust me the busier you are, the more it's not worth it.
- Manage your bacon.
- GTD - Get things done. Don't put off things for tomorrow that you can handle today. Respond to emails and archive or delete. If you may possibly need it again some day, archive. If not, delete. I generally save EVERYTHING, but that is because I don't use outlook (or any windows/PC products). I use gmail to manage all my email including Agency Couture.
- Don't check emails if your not in a place to do something about them. I'm guessing if you are checking them you should at least be in a place to respond. Unfortunately if you're doing that via phone you may not always have the archive option, but deal with that accordingly.
We each manage bacon differently, but I guess I should start off with telling you what I think bacon is.
What is "Bacon"? It is a type of email message you generally receive between 5-9am in the morning. They are emails that you sort of want, you signed up for, but often aren't good for you and just fill up your email inbox. It's a lot like real bacon, it is a yummy filler, but often too much and will just fatten you or your inbox. I offer my own branded bacon at: http://desaraeveit.com
I deal with mine by setting up a filter in gmail (You can do this by hitting the settings tab in the top left.. if you need more detailed instruction watch my video at http://youtube.com/desaraev6). That filter looks for the word "newsletter" and a list of email addresses that consistently send me bacon. I excluded all client names, especially ones that I do newsletters for. Then added a canned response auto reply, just in case in friends or clients slipped through and got archived. That email looks like this:
If you are receiving this email, for one reason or another your message has been marked as "Bacon" for me and may or may not eventually get read. If you think this is an error and you are not a newsletter, blog message, or another type of "Bacon" please call or email me so I can fix my algorithm.
What is "Bacon"? It is a type of email message you generally receive between 5-9am in the morning. They are emails that you sort of want, you signed up for, but often aren't good for you and just fill up your email inbox. It's a lot like real bacon, it is a yummy filler, but often too much and will just fatten you or your inbox. I offer my own branded bacon at: http://desaraeveit.com
Sorry for the inconvenience, but my bacon ha gotten out of hand and needed to be hidden away for a while.
This way I can go through and read my bacon when I have time.
How are you handling your bacon, emails, and overflowing inbox?
As always you are more then welcome to use any of my content, repost it, rewrite it, and broadcast it all I ask is that you link back to where you found it (http://interactivemedias.blogspot.com)
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Thanks for reading!
--Desarae A. Veit
Agency Couture
Image from: http://www.foundshit.com/
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