Create a Schedule for Checking Email
With the massive amount of emails being sent and received daily, it’s no wonder you find yourself spending so much time in your email inbox! With alerts on your phone or tablet, you might find yourself coming back to your inbox several times an hour instead of focusing on other tasks that need to be done. It might feel like you spend more time in your inbox rather than on any work you need to do!
The Professional Organizer in NYC knows that the key to beating the need to constantly be in your inbox is to develop a schedule that works for you.
First, make email your second priority, rather than your first. Don’t be a slave to your inbox! Even if email is the main form of communication for you, it doesn’t mean you need to be glued to your screen, refreshing your inbox every five minutes. You can’t be productive if you are constantly in your email. Maintaining a standard of immediate response to emails is unrealistic and prevents you from getting other important tasks done. Here’s a challenge – do NOT check your email first thing in the morning! Often a new project or task will come in and you’ll get swept up in email and put off another project that already needed attention. So start your day by completing one important task or project. THEN check your email and respond appropriately. See what happens! Are you able to accomplish more in your day?
Next, develop a schedule that works for you. Even for businesses that are email-centric, you absolutely do not have to spend your entire day in your inbox. For a business that doesn’t heavily use email, you can set time once a day to hop into your inbox. For a business that communicates regularly via email, you may need to schedule a few times a day to check in. Don’t spend more than 30 minutes or so processing email. Respond to anything that needs immediate attention or that can be replied to quickly. Turn off your notifications or shut down your email so that you aren’t distracted while during other work.
Schedule time at the end of the week to address anything you skipped, clean out your spam folder, and empty your trash bin. This allows you to focus on other tasks over the weekend, rather than email!
The key here is to not let your email dictate your work day. You control your own productivity, not your email! If you need help creating an email schedule and system that works for you, the Professional Organizer in NYC is ready to help you increase your productivity and take control of your day!