Lately, I have come to despise scheduling meetings via email- it’s especially challenging to do so with multiple attendees. Some of the annoyances include confusion about time zone, multiple emails going back and forth, having to gather all of the info, and it never fails that none of the times proposed work for the last participant to respond… If you have the pleasure of using an Exchange Server, than this is probably not a primary source of email clutter for you due to the enhanced availability view it provides. But for the rest of us, no matter how organized you are scheduling meetings via email are a real pain in the @#$!

I have been using services like Doodle.com or Moreganize.com. They definitely made the process less painful by allowing you to enter proposed days and times to forward to invitees. I still had challenges where attendees were in different time zones, flipping back and forth between my calendar and the browser, and entering each time range (i.e. 10am, 10:30am). The process was still too cumbersome and too many keystrokes for me.

I recently came across a service from Tungle.com on the TechCrunch blog. At a first glance, here is what I like about Tungle:

It provides the ability to sync my schedule and select my available times with a click. Plus, ease of correction via the erase feature, too!

Invitees don’t have to sign up for anything to use the service.

Tungle is smart enough to allow only one selection if scheduling a meeting between two people.  This prevents the additional back and forth to actually agree and confirm a time.

Not only does Tungle sync with your Outlook calendar but it will sync contacts and calendars with Outlook, Google Calendar, Apple iCal and Entourage.

It’s quick and easy to get up and running. First, you will need to create an account. Next, you can choose to sync your calendar and/or contacts. This is optional but it certainly will make the process more seamless. Now you are ready to schedule by clicking on the “Schedule a meeting” button. And if you install the Outlook Connector, Mac Connector or Google Quick Links plugin for Firefox these will provide you with additional features and scheduling convenience. Check out this brief video I recorded on how to schedule a meeting using Tungle.com.

One to-do list, one calendar.  Talk to any professional organizer worth their salt and they are likely to make this recommendation for being organized.  So, when it comes to incoming information, similar rules apply.

If the majority of your information comes in via email, you may want to take a closer look at the email software you’re using in order to consolidate functions.  It’s no wonder we’re having difficulty organizing information that comes at us via different modes of delivery and we track with separate task lists, calendars, address books, etc.  I am NOT making the argument for electronic methods vs. paper, you need to find a system that is supportive of your style, personality and tendencies.  BUT if you are using software, think about how you are using it and what you need to do better.  Does your software help you do that?

While I am no fanboy (or girl) of Microsoft®, I do think that Outlook® messaging software is one of the best organizing tools available. Though it’s often underutilized and sometimes disregarded, used correctly Outlook® can help you perform tasks related to email, calendar, contact, time management and even customer relationship management (CRM).

Email is the function that a majority of users may already be familiar with but if that’s the only thing you are using Outlook for, you are definitely missing out.  By acknowledging email as more than just a simple, digital form of communication, we must recognize the need for the right tools to be more productive and efficient. What is that old saying? “When you only have a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” When all your software does is ‘organize’ email messages, you think every email is just a message. But when you dig a bit deeper and ask more questions, you find that email messages are representative of decisions, actions, appointments, contact info, customer information, intellectual property, project information, etc. Stop using 10 standalone programs to track all the info you need.

The ideal solution will allow you to load in your contacts, use it for email, track appointments and events and manage your to-do list in one centralized location. The features and functions available within Outlook® and its integrated nature make it an ideal organizing tool. Here are just some of the things you can do in Outlook®:

• Customize ‘view’ in each module
• Create an appointment, contact, task or note from an email message
• Sort and filter by any number of fields for each module
• Ability to create views to support weekly and master task lists
• Sync with hand held device seamlessly

I have yet to find a software solution that does it better—or even comes close. And, believe me, I have been seek them out. Don’t get me wrong- I think “the cloud” is amazing but I just haven’t been able to find, create, or formulate an arrangement of ‘SaaS‘ solutions that come close to what Outlook delivers. I am seeking an application that allows as much ease of use and flexibility for the creation and management of tasks and synchronizes with my (or any) hand held device without too much intervention on my part.

Word of warning: Just like with any other organizing product, tool, container, planner, etc. YOU are the key to its success! Marrying the functionality with organizing best practices, mixing in some customization and consistent routines on your part will produce the long-lasting results for managing email overload.

I have tried Gmail with various lab features or extensions as well as several Mozilla Thunderbird task add-ins, and while their email capability is quite robust, the task sync features were weak or cumbersome.  I would love to hear about additional integrated email/task/calendar tools, so please comment about what you have found.

If you already own a copy of Outlook® and would like to set it up, you can learn more about accounts and profiles here.

• Are you frustrated and overwhelmed by all of the emails in your inbox?
• Do you have trouble finding information when you need it?
• Are you frequently scrambling to get something done at the last minute because the email got buried in your inbox?
• Do you spend too much time drowning in emails and not getting things done?

The amount of email we receive has increased exponentially over the past few years, especially if you have your own business. And we are expected to read every single message! I have heard of people declaring email bankruptcy, but that’s really not an option (and it doesn’t really address the problem either).

Here are just a few things to help you make the shift from email overload to email under control…and maybe even inbox zero.

1. Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.- Albert Einstein
If you don’t make any changes to the way you look at, review, think about and act upon (or don’t act upon) your email, then how can you expect different results? Open your mind to a new way of thinking about your inbox, when to check it and how to process it. Consider that finding the perfect system can sometimes be about experimentation and tweaking.

2. Set up a system. I am sure you have all heard what SYSTEM stands for…it is a process or set of steps that can Save You Stress, Time, Energy and Money. It doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, the simpler and more repeatable it is the more likely you are to be successful with it.

3. Streamline and update. Technology changes…and quickly. But it’s actually the technology that is slower to change that we have a more difficult time recognizing and changing.

Email folders are the prime example. How much time are you spending moving your emails into separate folders so you can access them later? And do you still have difficulty finding what you need? Why spend so much time on maintaining something you are not likely to use? I am sure you have heard of the 80/20 rule (Pareto’s Principle) which infers (loosely translated here) that you will only refer back to 20% of what you file. That means 80% of what you spend time categorizing and moving around will never be referred to again.

This is just the beginning…If you are interested in learning more on how to tackle your email overload, I have created a Detox Your Inbox Teleclass series. The first of which is a free teleclass this Thursday, June 5th, sign up here.

One of the easiest steps for detoxifying your inbox and getting a jump on inbox overload is to stop it before it comes in. It’s also a great tip for dealing with your paper inbox. So you can apply these tips there as well.

• Are there subscriptions that you never have time to read? Do you belong to a ton of listservs that don’t really provide any value? Unsubscribe or cancel them.

• If you don’t already have one, install a good spam filter and train it well. If you simply delete all of the true spam that comes into your inbox, the volume will remain the same. Training your spam filter by marking messages as spam and blocking senders or domains will decrease your volume of spam.

• Do you have well meaning friends and family that send you every chain letter, tax scam, prayer and pretty picture that comes their way? Ask them to remove you from their distribution list. “But how?”, you say? Your friends and family genuinely want to help you and you would be surprised what they will do if you simply ask for their assistance. If you are having a hard time asking, the next time you receive one of their junk emails, reply with the below response and customize as you wish:

Hi <name>,

I would like to request your assistance. I am making an effort to simplify and get organized and would like to spend less time in my inbox. Would you mind removing me from your distribution list for jokes and other forwards? I always love to hear from you personally and I thank you for helping me to simplify.

• If there is absolutely, positively someone who would die of heartbreak at your request or someone who make your life miserable with the big G (GUILT), then set up a rule and have emails from that person automatically sent to a separate junk mail folder and get them out of your inbox.

Do you have any other suggestions for getting off of that loved one’s distribution list? Love to hear what has worked for you.

photo credit: gruntzooki

We live in a society where we are bombarded with information from every angle and we are especially overloaded by incoming email. Try Googling “Email Overload“- you will get 299,000 results. Everyone seems to be suffering from it.

So, why are we so overloaded by email? Here are some points of pain that seem to be common among email users:

• One of the basic frustrations of disorganization in general, and email specifically, is not being able to find what you need when you need it.
• Your inbox fills up quicker than you can empty it. Therefore, if you don’t keep up you will be perpetually trying to catch up.
• You can’t get any REAL work done because you are too busy dealing with email.
• You feel pressured to reply to ALL of your emails quickly.

I’d love to hear your email pain points and why you may be frustrated and overwhelmed by email in the comments section. More on email overload next week…