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Getting Organized: A Look at My Inboxes (Tackling Email part 1)

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I tackle my email inboxes all day every day because I get so much email.  However, I don’t usually feel stressed by it.  Over the next few weeks, I will show you how I handle it.

I grabbed this screen shot first thing in the morning on a Wednesday.  Why Wednesday?  Because I make it my email day.  This is the main day each week that I try to get all inboxes down to zero.

imageFirst, let us look at my main boxes.  I have lots of other places where things are organized, but this is my main working folders. The numbers you see beside the bold box name shows how many emails are in it.  Not, how many unread, just how many.  Except The Dish and Kenny at the bottom.  The Dish is kind of an archive folder so it only shows unread ones and Kenny is something else entirely. LOL!

In order they are:

1.  To Deal With – in this folder are all the emails that I get concerning product reviews and giveaways.  When I agree to work with a company, all the emails between us just go in there.  When the item arrives and I am ready to write the post, I can do a quick search in that folder and have access to all the emails.  This makes crafting my post so easy but also gets those emails out of my main inboxes.  Periodically, I go through it and follow up with people if I haven’t received the item or delete if it has been a really long time.  Once the post is written, the emails are deleted.  If it is a giveaway, I forward one of the emails to my assistant so she can contact them with the winner info at the conclusion of the giveaway.  She has a folder where she holds those.

2.  Must Make a Decision – this is pretty obvious.  Those emails that come in that I am just not sure about doing go in this folder.  Each week (on Wednesday) I go through it and make a decision by either setting it up to do or deleting and moving on.

3.  Inbox (personal folders) – this is actually supposed to be my personal email, but I tend to occasionally get blog related emails in it.

4.  Inbox – 3BoysandaDog – This is where all of my main site (this one) emails go as they arrive to me.  It is the one that gets the most unruly!  When I handle it, I typically sort by “from” and quickly delete all comment notices, twitter follower notices, etc.  Then, I start hitting up like items with my copy and paste responses (saved into drafts).  Once all the easy is done, I start responding and sorting.  I haven’t had this inbox to zero in a very long time, but at the writing of this post I am planning to. LOL!  Today is actually 11/12 which is a Federal Holiday so I am not expecting as much email to come through.  That means today is the perfect day to try to reach zero!

5.  Inbox – Blog print media – This is simply my inbox for Blog Print Media.  That is the site that I do all of my printables and media kit designing from.

6.  Deals Site – This one is usually a bit harder to clean up than my others.  I get so many deal tips in each day and have to decide which ones ar worth the time to post.  This one can build up pretty quickly as I always feel like I am holding onto something for another day.

7.  Inbox – Southern Mom Cooks – My new little cooking site doesn’t get as much email yet.  I am sure that will change as it grows.  But, this inbox houses all mail for it.

8.  Social Fabric – A blogging group that I am in

9.  Pinterest –  All emails from Pinterest go here.  I try to get through it once a week, but I can’t keep up!  So, sometimes I just delete and move on.

10.  Inbox – KMiller – This is my EF inbox. :

11.  Drafts – Here’s where I house all those prewritten emails.  I will talk more about this during this series.

12.  Kenny – emails from my Mother. LOL!  I like to keep them separate so they don’t get lost.

13.  The Dish – A blogging group that I am in

Now that you can see how I organize my incoming email, check in next week to see how I process all of this stuff each day!

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Janet W.

Wednesday 16th of January 2013

I wish I could be as organized as you! Just after a few hours my inbox will be out of control!

Robin

Wednesday 9th of January 2013

This is one of those things that I have a hard time organizing. I can't wait to follow your posts so I can get a handle on this. I think everyone needs to see this. Please come by and share this with my friends @ http://www.flusterbuster.com/search/label/Fluster%20Muster%20Party

Stephanie LaPlante

Friday 4th of January 2013

Your email looks very organized. Mine is a complete mess.