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Most people are familiar with junk e-mail folders that keep unwanted messages out of your inbox, but did you know that you can use the power of folders to help you become more productive and organized? E-mail folders and filters can help you keep your inbox organized and prevent you from losing important e-mail messages.
These days, e-mail programs of all kinds have filter, folder or label options that you can use to stay more organized. Normally folders are used similar to physical folders. They are places where information can be stored. Filters are special rules that e-mail management programs use to sort your mail as it comes into your inbox. Use these five different techniques with your e-mail program’s folder and filter system to stay more focused and organized.
Label low priority e-mails and move them from your inbox.
Your e-mail program is probably already able to filter out spam messages, but what about those e-mails that come from legitimate addresses that you just don’t want to deal with on a daily basis. You can set up a folder labeled “low priority” and then label these messages as they come in or set up a filter so they skip your inbox entirely.
Make your own to do list folder.
You can combine your inbox with your to do folder with this technique. E-mail yourself your “must do” items and then file them away in a to do folder for future reference. When you complete tasks, you can delete the message from the folder.
Manage mailing lists.
Mailing lists can be great sources of information, but they can also crowd your inbox. In most cases, you want the information but you don’t need it right in front of you. Create a “mailing list” or “newsletters” e-mail folder to store away all of this important information. When you’re done with your work for the day, you can visit this folder and read these messages at your leisure.
Create a “follow up” folder.
Sometimes when you send an e-mail out you need to follow up on it later. It’s easy to forget about that message and miss out on your follow up opportunity – unless you cleverly use an e-mail folder! Set up an e-mail folder called “follow up.” When you send out your message, put your address in the BCC section and be sure to use the word “follow up” in your message. You can set up a filter that looks for your name and the term “follow up” and it will immediately route your message into your folder so you can follow up later.
Create a reference folder for important information.
Online shopping receipts, tracking numbers, bank notices and other official documents can get easily lost in your inbox. Create a folder that’s specifically for your “do not delete” items and then file them all away for safekeeping. This way you can be sure they won’t get lost in your next inbox purge.
With these tools you can make your e-mail inbox a beacon of productivity instead of a time sucking vortex.
{ 1 comment }
Great article . Will definitely copy it to my website.
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