• 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…