| One of the biggest distractions for most | | | | the category name, it helps group your |
| business owners is email. And when you get | | | | important categories at the top of your |
| hundreds (or even thousands) of emails a day, | | | | category box.Now, whenever an email hits your |
| it's really easy for it to quickly overwhelm | | | | inbox, you must drop it into a category. This |
| you. Just as it's hard to concentrate in a | | | | helps you because everything that requires |
| messy office, a messy inbox can send you | | | | the same type of action is in a "bucket" in |
| running in a hundred different directions if | | | | your inbox now.To assign an email to a |
| you are not careful. Here are some power tips | | | | category, right click on the email, right |
| to organize your inbox and help you stay | | | | click categories, find the category you want |
| focused.1) Create categories in your inbox.! | | | | to assign it to, and put an x in that box2) |
| Inbox | | | | Use tasks to group your "to do" items |
| | | | |
| ! Act Now (items I need to do in the next 5 | | | | Items that I will do in the next few days, |
| minutes) | | | | weeks, or months ahead, you can move to your |
| | | | task folder.If you customize the current view |
| ! Do (items I should do today) | | | | to group it by high, normal, and low priority |
| | | | it helps you instantly identify which items |
| ! Waiting for Reply | | | | need your attention first. It follows the |
| | | | Franklin Covey model of thinking of |
| ! Quick Reference | | | | identifying tasks as a A, B, or C.Here's how |
| | | | to group your tasks by priority.Right click |
| ! Ideas | | | | |
| | | | Customize current view |
| ! News to Read | | | | |
| | | | Group items by - choose priority |
| ! DelegateHow to create categories in your | | | | |
| inboxRight click on any email in your inbox | | | | Descending |
| | | | |
| Click categories | | | | OK3) As you read your emails, click and edit |
| | | | the subject line so it says the action you |
| Click master category list | | | | need to take. For example, when a person |
| | | | emails me with a question, I would edit the |
| Type the name of the new category you wish | | | | subject line of that email to say, "Call Jim |
| to create | | | | by Friday at 222-222-2222 about web design |
| | | | quote). That way I don't even have to open |
| Hit add | | | | the email to have an instant reminder about |
| | | | what action I need to take.4) Personal |
| Hit ok | | | | Folders help organize your "keeper" emails. |
| | | | Here are personal file folders to consider. |
| H okIf you put an exclamation point before | | | | |