Is your email inbox kept as a to-do list? Often, people leave “to-do” emails in their inbox until they are completed. After completion, the email is categorized or deleted, thus removing it from the inbox.
Using your email inbox as a to-do list can make life simpler for many people, and for others, it can be confusing. This blog post explores why freelancers use their email as a to-do list, methods for email processing, and how you should move forward!
Why Keep Your Inbox as a To-Do List?
The concept of Inbox Zero has been around for decades as one of the first email management strategies. The goals of Inbox Zero include following a system of “delete, delegate, respond, defer, or do” and getting your inbox to zero by the end of the day.
Using your inbox as a to-do list can increase your productivity, make prioritizing a breeze, and ensure that no client email ever goes unanswered.
While not everyone can effectively use the traditional methods of Inbox Zero, once you have set up your email as an efficient process for you, it is easy to maintain.
Below is an older video from a Google Talk from Inbox Zero inventor Merlin Mann .
Email Distractions
Do constant email alerts annoy you or make you feel overwhelmed?
It is critical to be aware of the “email time suck”! Forbes reported in 2017 that office workers spend about 2.5 hours a day reading internal emails, with much of it being a waste of time.
We have this desire to let emails distract us from priorities in an effort to “answer right away” even when it isn’t necessary.
As a freelancer, you likely do not have the sheer quantity of emails as an office worker, but that does not mean that you will not be distracted by emails.
With any of the following recommendations, be sure designate specific times each day to process emails and not get sucked into checking it every 10 minutes.
Methods of Email Processing
There are various methods of email processing, each with unique benefits depending on your work style.
Be careful that you don’t over-categorize everything and then forget where you stashed an email.
Productive Labeling
The most common form of email processing is productive labeling. It can be easily modified to suit the needs of a freelancer. Here are what the labels (or folders) might look like:
To Do
Emails that have associated tasks but do not need to be completed today.
Eventually
Emails with no time obligation but should be addressed eventually.
Communication
Emails that involve client communication, in case you have to reference it later. It is recommended you have a secondary label for each regular client as well.
That should leave only the emails that must be taken care of today in your inbox.
Time-Based Labeling
Time-based labeling relies on sorting emails according to deadlines. It is pretty self-explanatory with labels that look like:
Task-Based Labeling
For task-based labeling, your system is based on what needs to be done. It would look something like this:
Action requiredApp Connections
Another option for processing your email into task lists is by using connected apps.
Many email platforms will allow you to connect your email to apps like Asana, Trello, Zoom, Slack, Evernote, and more.
It can make it easy to add an email to a task platform automatically. All you have to do is set it up.
Do What Works for You
At the end of the day, how you process your emails and to-do lists depends on what works best for you.
There is no point in setting up a process that you aren't going to follow. Take a moment to determine what method you would actually keep up with before diving in.
Got more ideas, add them to the comments below.