Blog 45:  Help!  I’m losing the battle of the e mails

e mail overwhelm - piles of messages hitting a man on his computer
©New Tech Northwest

Is this you?  Feeling overwhelmed by e mails and a sense that you’re on a slippery, muddy slope where you will never get to the top?  Feeling out of control and can’t see a way through the battle of the e mails?  This blog provides some practical things you can do to give you back control so you can feel like you’re on top . . . rather that at the bottom. 

You may not even think it is possible to get on top of the e mails.  Can I encourage you that you need to (get on top) for a couple of reasons:

  1.  Constantly feeling overwhelmed is not healthy.  It’s time to find a healthier you.
  2. If your e mails are under control, you can create space for the deep work that requires you attention and that will make a big difference to your professional life. 

Blogs 31 to 35 talked about the importance of working in the important but not urgent quadrant.  To get to that space, you need to have those e mails under your control. 

To start, let’s make sure we are using the same language.  We’ll refer to these sections (the red boxes) in this blog.

microsoft outlook parts
©Microsoft community

Now let’s hit those practical strategies:

  1. Have a goal in mind for your e mails.  For me, in the default Outlook view, i like it when i have seven or less e mails in the message list (so no scrolling needed).  I like a clear and uncluttered desk (perhaps the sign of an uncluttered mind) and the e mails are an extension of that.  Maybe you too could have an aim to have minimal e mails in your message list.  Let’s make that an aim as we go forward. 
  2. Try to handle the e mails only once.That won’t always be possible, but follow the process in point #3 (below) and try to handle each e mail once only. 
  3. It’s either in the message pain or it’s on my to do list.  Avoid double handling.  As you read your e mails in the message list, there are four possible actions for you:

    ->Read and file. No action necessary.  Just FYI (for your information). Pop it in a folder

    -> Action needed. Put the item on your to do list, prioritise it and flag the e mail (so you know you’ve captured it).  If you have confidence in your to do list, then you can file the e mail in a folder and retrieve it when you are ready to respond.  If you lack that confidence, leave the flagged e mail in your message list.

    ->Delete.  This e mail is not spam, but there is also no action necessary and no need to keep it.  Delete.

    -> Spam.  Train your computer.  Right click, select ‘junk’ and then ‘block sender’.  That should be the last of those you receive.

    So, you are training your computer to sift the junk.  You have either deleted e mails, filed them with no action or they’re flagged and on your to do list.

    What’s left in your message list?  Only the new e mails and any requiring further action. 

    Hopefully using these strategies your Outlook file has gone . . .

    From this

    a cluttered and disorganized kitchen
    ©This simplified home
    clean and tidy kitchen
    ©The spruce

    Now there are a few more strategies to help you win the battle of the e mails, but let’s give you time to apply this sorting strategy first.  Next week we’ll look at a few more things you can tidy to win the battle of the e mails . . . including ‘e mail procrastination’. 

    Until then

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