Each year as we start the new year, we think of ways to make a change and improve our lives.  Did you know that organizing is one of the top three goals each year?  Throughout the month of January, I will be offering 31 tips to help you have Your Most Organized Year Ever.  Implement just one of these tips, tools, techniques or tweaks this year. 

 

Email floods in daily.  The best way to keep ahead of the wave is to triage daily.

 

Triage? It’s when you sort through your email, delete all that’s not needed immediately, and leave what’s important to work on, add to your project list and do what can be done in 1 minute or less.

 

• It takes decisive action to keep your inbox chopped down to size.  There are some basic email solutions, but the triage approach makes a difference.
• Check your email just three times a day with this strategy. If you check more, you won’t be as decisive.
• If you are struggling with a task or project in the email, move that to a list to complete later.
• Check email from your computer mainly, rather than your smart phone, to make the most of this strategy.  Never check email at a stop light or while driving.

 

What if you have gotten above 1000 emails in your inbox?

• Sort by subject view, group together, and either delete or move to subfolder.
• Spend an extra 15 minutes a day for a week just deleting emails.

 

Make this Your Most Organized Year Ever with email triage.

 

If paper is overwhelming too, check out this paper triage post.