Drowning in emails. Help.

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- Group by sender
- sort by date received
- prioritize senders
- skim high priority senders’ emails first
- categorize by Red = urgent, yellow = normal response time, and green = no follow up needed
- Respond/action Red emails first

- Categorize lower priority Senders’ emails the same way (also skim)
- Respond/action their Reds first (if any)

- go back and respond/action Yellow emails from the high priority group
- then Yellow for lower

Chin up! You’ll be okay 🤗

likehelpful

Ignore, important things will emerge. Probably. Note: I was recently let go.

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Real talk:
I live by a zero inbox rule, and EOD (that’s a moving target) I have zero emails in my inbox.

You have to start with a strong filing system.
Choose your few main priorities and then add sub folders. Be okay deleting emails that require no action. Save them in a folder if you want it for reference (or archive in a folder) - but read and move on.

If you read an email and it requires action, mark it unread and that’s your reminder to close before the day is done.

Then the amazing part - only reply to email 2-3 times a day; unless there is some sort of insane issue - and that is by exception only.

Finally, depending on the time of day - reply to your team or client with a delayed send. Respect their time, and if you’re up early or late, that’s your choice and doesn’t have to be theirs.

Data: been doing this for just over 4 years, C-M in that time, up for SM this year. I receive an average M-F of 220 emails per day, and send somewhere near 120 each day. I use only two rules in my inbox (filter on firm specific emails / newsletters I read on Thursday nights; and filter for my direct team that their emails are highlighted in my inbox) - team and client emails are replied to in the daily windows first, practice next, external emails, then internals.

The commitment is the hardest part.

My gmail runs the same way.

likeuplifting

tell people to send you less emails. I just ignore pointless ones

likefunny

Thx. Will have to put in rules now.

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To catch up , I would mark everything read . Then pick the 5 most important ppl you work with on a daily basis. Mark their emails as unread and go through them and respond appropriately. Anybody else you missed will follow up and you can apologize and start responding with a new system in place ( with rules and suggestions made byC1)

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Dont open them, just delete them 😉

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Sort by subject.. read the last email with the same subject, the whole thread. Then you’ll be caught up no that whole thread.

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Selectively respond...I respond to non-critical emails days later...they usually get the message and find someone else to bug or only email you about important shtuff

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