Top Ten Ways to Control Your E-valanche


Lee Sumner
Certified Professional Coach

for inspiration, strategies, and results

March 2006

Vol. III - Issue 3

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March 9 ~ 12-1 p.m.
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"Beyond Superwoman: How to Survive When You Have Way Too Much To Do"

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Words of Wisdom

"Buying the right computer and getting it to work properly is no more complicated than building a nuclear reactor from wristwatch parts in a darkened room using only your teeth."

~Dave Barry

Please join me in honoring the Pillsbury Doughboy, who died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin.

Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, Betty Crocker, and the Hostess Twinkies. The grave site was piled high with flours. Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded.

Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times he still was a crusty old man and was considered a roll model for millions.

Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, two children, John Dough and Jane Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart.

The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

Lee Sumner is a Certified Professional Coach who has successfully assisted hundreds of people to create high-quality lives. She is President of No Limits Coaching and is a member of the International Coach Federation.

Get more info on the website: www.nolimitscoach.com

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Top Ten Ways to
Control Your E-valanche

1. Follow the urge to purge. Clean out the messages in your inbox. Some of these linger for days and weeks because you couldn't find an answer someone needed. Break the habit of keeping paper and electronic documents just because someone sent them to you. Keep only those you really need or can't find elsewhere. Crazy as it sounds, you need to be able to see the last email message in your inbox without scrolling. When your inbox is clear, so is your mind.

2. Create a filing system by grouping similar things together. Being organized means you can find answers fast. Instead of using the inbox as a to-do list, use the task function, which you can set up in several ways, including with timed reminders. You can then move messages that represent unfinished tasks to separate folders for pending, follow-up, projects or clients. And instead of keeping a message because you need a phone number or email address, move it to the contacts section.

3. Pick up the phone. A phone call or a meeting is still the best way to map out complicated topics or new projects that require a lot of explanation.

4. Don't give people a reason to email you a second time. Get on top of things. Follow up and follow through on your promises so people won't have to write again. When the answer is no, say it and stop wasting your time and theirs.

5. Reduce replies. Begin or end your messages with sentences such as "No reply necessary," so your inbox doesn't fill up with one-worders such as "thanks" or "OK."

6. Develop a coding system and use it to begin each subject line. Some examples are ACTION, CALL, and FYI. Use these to prioritize messages or create rules that move messages to certain folders based on the sender and the subject line.

7. Write subject lines that tell the whole story. Instead of writing a subject line saying "Meeting," write "ACTION: March staff meeting—need your agenda items by Friday." Make sure the subject line matches the message.

8. Make your message easy to read.

  • get to the point quickly
  • use bold formatting for due dates
  • create bulleted lists people can scan
  • use a simple black font that's easy on the eyes

9. Consider yourself in a meeting with your inbox. Stay on top of it and keep the junk cleaned out. Deal with any message that comes through: either delete it, delegate it, make a note of it and delete it, file it, complete it if it's quick, flag it for follow-up, or schedule time on your calendar to do the work later. Print it only if you absolutely have to.

10. Decide on the best time to check e-mail. Establish a routine that fits your schedule. If you keep your inbox on one screen, you'll have little problem zipping through it. Now you can think. Email will no longer be a burden but a welcome tool of convenience.

Adapted from "Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook Tips and Tricks" by Peggy Duncan.

We all know how overwhelming it is to have hundreds (or thousands) of months-old email messages clogging our inbox. Let's face it, these often represent broken promises, missed deadlines, and unfinished work -- and it's not a good feeling. We blame email overload. But the problem isn't the new messages coming in, it's the mess that's already there.

To solve the problem, you have to control email, not let it control you. That means making a commitment to new work habits: getting organized so you can find answers fast, changing how you use the inbox so you can keep it clear, and establishing routines so you can stay on top of things.

Here's to a clear inbox and a clear mind!

Warmly,