3 Steps To Take for An Organized Inbox

Who do you identify with most?

• Person A - the one who has 2,333 unread emails at all times

OR

• Person B - the one who closes their computer at the end of the day with 0 unread emails

However you run your inbox, there is no denying that inbox management is crucial to being successful in today's working world. 

I'm not here to inbox shame (because if it works for you, it works for you!) but due to my passion in advocating for effective communication in the workplace, I would be remiss if I did not recognize that effective communication starts with an organized inbox. 

Spoiler: if you are organized, you are able to respond quicker. And if you are able to respond quicker, you are more productive. And if you are more productive, people enjoy working with you. And if people enjoy working with you, you have a better day!! Inbox organization is a win-win all around. 

Take ‘em or leave ‘em but here are the top 3 most effective ways to organize your inbox so you can be the CEO of your day – successfully. 

1) Label your inbox

I’ll give credit to a former manager of mine for this trick. The goal of labeling your inbox is two-fold: 

• 1. Labels allow you to tag emails under a certain category so it automatically files emails into a folder for you 

• 2. And the labels remind you what you need to do with the email

My inbox consists of a “to freaking do” label on all the emails I need to action on so it is an aggressive reminder of all the work sitting in my inbox. I also use an “awaiting reply” label so I can keep track of all the emails I need responses on. This organization tip is helpful because it tags the important emails in your inbox AND it files them into a folder for later. And once you accomplish the task or receive the reply? Simply remove the tag. 

Use labels that work for you and the work you’re doing on a daily basis. These are simply examples within my own inbox. 

BONUS: If you use Gmail, go to settings → labels → create new label → and create as many labels as you need to stay organized. 

2) Add a task list

Did you know most email platforms allow you to embed a task list directly into your inbox? Most of us have our email as a tab or a window up on our desktop 99% of the day so you might as well have your task list right next to it. This will allow you to drag and drop emails into your task list, immediately add tasks that pop into your mind so you do not forget them later in the day AND check off completed tasks. Best part? It tally’s all the tasks you have completed so you can showcase to your boss all the work you are doing on a daily/monthly/annual basis. 

BONUS: Using Gmail? Find the check mark on the right hand side of your window and watch the task list pop right out!

3) Focus on revenue generating tasks first

This is a trick I learned 6 years ago and it was a GAME CHANGER for how I operate and prioritize my days. I kept ending my days thinking “what the heck did I even do today” and I wasn’t seeing the needle move on my success. My goals weren’t being met, I was answering the same emails over and over again, and I didn’t have time to work on projects I actually wanted to work on. I had a wonderful manager/mentor who sat me down and had me categorize what I was doing on a daily basis and that’s when this method was born. 

HERE’S HOW: Write down everything you need to do in a day/week. Then ask yourself “which tasks will bring me the most success?” (ex: success for me = revenue). Highlight all the tasks that will bring you the most success. You have just picked your ‘revenue generating” tasks aka the tasks that you need to focus on immediately. Do those tasks each day every day first. 

Next, circle all the tasks that are important, but could be done within the next 2 weeks. Those are your “revenue in 30 days” tasks. Find time on your calendar to block out an hour or two to focus on these tasks. They are important but they do not need to be done immediately and can be pushed to another day, if need be. 

And lastly, take a look at everything that isn’t highlighted or circled. These are called your “non revenue generating” tasks. These are the tasks that (like, me) you are probably putting WAY too much time into and they are not paying back dividends. Leave these tasks for a slow Friday afternoon. Or heck - delegate these tasks or delete them altogether. Do you really need to do them anyways?

If you’re like me, I need to write everything down, schedule anything that requires my attendance, and track anything that garners my attention otherwise I would forget about it (my dad always used to tell me my head would fall off if it wasn’t connected to my neck). Once you have organized your to-do list into 1) revenue generating tasks, 2) revenue in 30 days, and 3) non-revenue generating, you can now add those timeslots to your calendar. Send yourself a calendar invite every morning/afternoon to focus on the rev gen tasks. Block off every Wednesday afternoon to focus on the rev in 30 days. And when you’re sitting around pretending to work on Friday, take a look at those non rev gen tasks to see which ones you can finally cross off that to-do list.

And there you have it, 3 tips to organize your inbox. If you’re interested in learning MORE about inbox organization and effective communication in the workplace, don’t forget to JOIN THE WAITLIST for Email Tip Academy! Enrollment begins April 22nd