“There he goes again,” I think as my dad trudges into the
basement to answer emails. “He’s never coming back. Well, at least for another few
hours.”
Since its popularity skyrocketed in the early 1990s, email
has transformed from a streamlined form of communication into a facilitator for
distraction. The problem has worsened in recent
years, now that email follows us through every daily activity on the mobile
devices in our pockets. How can business professionals tackle what seems to be
this overwhelming task?
Many experts advise tackling problems in “just 20 minutes
a day.” Well, just 20 minutes of
exercise, just 20 minutes of
meditation, just 20 minutes to prep
dinner – it all adds up to consume a large portion of a day. Given our busy
lives, those 20 precious minutes do not need to be spent
organizing your inbox each day. Instead
there are pragmatic approaches to keep your inbox nearly empty at all times, an
approach known as “Inbox Zero.”
For many professionals, reaching Inbox Zero,
seems like a fantasy that will never be achieved, and anyone who suggests the
possibility is the Don Quixote of the office. A few nights ago, frustrated with
various aspects of my life coinciding in my inbox, I decided to take a crack at
Inbox Zero. The tools I came across in my quest are well worth sharing.
1) Boomerang
Why it is useful: With this application, you can schedule emails to
be sent during a later time or date. For example, a message drafted at 2:00
a.m. may be set to send at 8:00 a.m. during normal business hours. Additionally
this application can act as a “snooze” button for emails to reappear in your
inbox. This feature is useful for night owls, companies that operate in
different time zones and follow-up reminders.
Used
on: Gmail
Cost:
Free for 10 messages a month, $4.99/month unlimited, $14.99 for businesses
2) Unroll Me
Why it is useful: Think about the average amount of junk mail
received each day. When it becomes second nature to delete certain messages,
something must change. This site allows users to scan an email address for subscriptions.
I was surprised as to how many listservs I had accumulated over the years,
ranging from department store coupons to group newsletters. After the scan, the
site gives the option to unsubscribe from lists or “add to roll.” Instead of
separate emails for each subscription, you will receive one daily digest “roll”
email with all of your subscriptions at once.
Used on: Most
email addresses
Cost: Free
Site: https://unroll.me/
3) Pocket
Why it is useful: Have you ever had an email that sits in your
inbox because it includes a lengthy article or interesting video that you want
to enjoy later? This application allows users to forward such emails to a
virtual “pocket” to be read when time allows. Commuters, anyone with future downtime
or media junkies will find this valuable.
Used on: Any internet browser, smartphone or tablet
Cost: Free
Site: http://getpocket.com
4) Rapportive
Why it is useful: This is a
networker’s dream. An excellent client management tool, Rapportive displays a
picture, Twitter feed, and social media links of your email contacts. Users even
can add personal notes to each contact to remember for the next meeting or
follow-up email.
Used on: Firefox, Chrome and Safari browsers
Cost: Free
Site: http://rapportive.com/
5) Follow Up Then
Why it is useful: Call it a
senior moment or too much on our plates, the reality is that sometimes we
forget things. Follow Up Then serves as a virtual secretary to send friendly
follow-up reminders. Simply compose or forward an email to yourself to be read
in the future such as events or client reminders. Send the email with when you
want the email to appear to @followupthen (i.e. tomorrow@followupthen.com,
28March215pm@followupthen.com).
Used on: Any email provider
Cost: Free
6) Inbox Pause
Why it is useful: Sometimes emails have to wait, but the temptation
to check your inbox is too great. Inbox
Pause halts messages from entering your inbox at work until you are ready to
handle more emails. This is especially useful if you are working on a project,
out to dinner, with a client or on vacation.
Used on: Gmail
Cost: Free
Site: http://inboxpause.com/
7) The Email Game
Why it is useful: Someone finally had a sense of humor regarding
email and developed “The Email Game” to make the process more fun. A timer
challenges users to beat the clock while reading and responding to messages in
order to tidy up inboxes.
Used on: Gmail and Google Apps
Cost: Free
These tools – along with email basics such as creating
proper folders to sort mail, using color-coded tabs, and defining reasonable
goals – can help make Inbox Zero a reality. My father can attest to the fact
that this process works. Together this past weekend, we trimmed his unruly
4,000-message inbox down to a mere 18 by switching to Gmail and employing some
of the aforementioned techniques.
So invest in your inbox today and relieve your email angst.
So invest in your inbox today and relieve your email angst.
Do you have any methods
to successfully manage email influx? Share your Inbox Zero tips in the comments.
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