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Tame Your Email Overload - Tips From Fellow Bloggers

by Yvonne Russell on March 9th, 2008


I was inspired by Celine Roque’s posts about how she tamed her email overload at Pimp My Work - Part 1 and Part 2.

This is something I need to do - and soon, before I sink into the morass of emails.

I also liked Laura Spencer’s approach at Work From Home Momma to tackling a challenge. Rather than set unrealistic annual goals, she sets one or two small “baby steps” goals each month.

Both Celine’s and Laura’s approaches are manageable and practical. I’m going to take heed of both and set to work on taming my emails in March.

  • How about you?
  • What small thing could you do that will get you ahead, without being unrealistic?

Image courtesy of Yvonne Russell © at Grow Your Writing Business

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POSTED IN: Email, Uncategorized

9 opinions for Tame Your Email Overload - Tips From Fellow Bloggers

  • Mary Emma Allen
    Mar 9, 2008 at 1:12 pm

    I recently learned how to set up folders for my e-mail, so am slowly getting it sorted. This helps so much when I need to find a particular e-mail. Now I have to be careful I don’t get too much mail in my folders!

  • Sean
    Mar 9, 2008 at 1:30 pm

    ME:
    Here’s a tip that takes a little time to figure out but has made a HUGE difference in my email overload. In Outlook it’s called setting up “Rules,” an automatic sorting function that puts emails from certain senders or with certain words in the subject (or other attributes) directly into a designated folder instead of your inbox. My email newsletters, or blog comment and newsletter signup notifications, frequent flyer emails, and all other stuff that comes regularly and isn’t urgent never hits my less-clogged inbox.

  • Yvonne Russell
    Mar 10, 2008 at 3:44 pm

    Hi Mary Emma & Sean
    Great suggestions, thanks.

  • Marsha Egan
    Mar 21, 2008 at 10:28 am

    Another really helpful idea is to limit the number of time you check your email each day. Each time you go into that inbox, it “takes time” to tear yourself away. I like to suggest no more than 5 times a day, and even fewer if you can do it.

    Then go in with the intention of sorting, not working. This is just what you do once a day with postal/paper mail! Then putting it in folders allows you to control your work, not vice versa!

    Marsha Egan
    http://inboxdetox.blogspot.com

  • Yvonne Russell
    Mar 21, 2008 at 9:14 pm

    Marsha - This is so true. It’s so tempting to just want to get rid of emails as they arise, but batching them is far more efficient.

  • Mary Emma Allen
    Mar 22, 2008 at 4:57 am

    Good idea, Marsha. I’ve heard so many people say they’ve had to develop specific times for checking their e-mail and dealing with it. Otherwise, they’re working on their e-mail continually and not getting other work done. I’m finding sorting into folders is helping me deal with it, too. I need to refine this even more.

  • Mary Emma Allen
    Mar 22, 2008 at 4:59 am

    Thanks, Sean, for your suggestion. I’ll have to check my program to see if/how I can set it up so mail goes directly to these folders without clogging the in-box.

  • Taming My Email Overload - Early Steps Are Paying Off
    Mar 26, 2008 at 10:46 am

    […] in March I vowed to take small steps to tame my email overload. I’m pleased to report it’s going […]

  • Esteban Niss » Blog Archive » Easter & Spring - New Beginnings For Business [SmallBizMentor]
    Apr 5, 2008 at 2:20 pm

    […] wise, I’ve started by taming my emails, and it’s starting to pay off… a small step but it’s making a big […]

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