A system required for emails requiring more than 2 minutes to action..??

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aeastham

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How does everyone manage emails that arrive in your inbox that require more than 2 minutes to action?

At the moment when I get an email that is going to take me longer than 2 minutes to action I move it from my inbox to a seperate folder within my Outlook. The email folder is labelled as the project name that it applies to under a section called 'current projects'. I can save all the emails that I receive which apply to that particular project within the same folder. Sounds ok so far?

However once I've moved the email into its folder I'm worried that I will forget to take any action with it as it's now off my radar! My inbox may be at zero and my emails all saved in folders but how do I remember to go back to each folder at a later time, find the email and then take any appropriate action?

How does everyone manage this scenario? Should I use 'Tasks' to help me with this process - how? I'm trying to limit the amount of times that I check my email to about 2 to 3 times a day.

What works for everyone out there?

Please send me step-by-step instructions as to the most effective way to manage this..... tks A
 
Add next action to appropriate action-list

aeastham;53828 said:
How does everyone manage emails that arrive in your inbox that require more than 2 minutes to action?

At the moment when I get an email that is going to take me longer than 2 minutes to action I move it from my inbox to a seperate folder within my Outlook. The email folder is labelled as the project name that it applies to under a section called 'current projects'. I can save all the emails that I receive which apply to that particular project within the same folder. Sounds ok so far?
Click to expand...

Yes, so far ok.

aeastham;53828 said:
However once I've moved the email into its folder I'm worried that I will forget to take any action with it as it's now off my radar! My inbox may be at zero and my emails all saved in folders but how do I remember to go back to each folder at a later time, find the email and then take any appropriate action?

How does everyone manage this scenario? Should I use 'Tasks' to help me with this process - how? I'm trying to limit the amount of times that I check my email to about 2 to 3 times a day.

What works for everyone out there?

Please send me step-by-step instructions as to the most effective way to manage this..... tks A
Click to expand...

When you move the mail to the project-folder you should add the next action to your action-list. Before you do that you should read the mail and try to find out what your next action should be.

Sometimes I add "send reply to X re: email" as a sub-project under the real project. Every project should have only one next action. In this situation replying to the email could be a second next-action, which I feel is not right. The best way to bring projects further is to define the real next action I would perform. Adding a new sub-project can sometimes be necessary.
 
If you use Outlook Tasks to manage your Next Action lists then before you move the email to another folder do the following:

1. Quickly decide within 2 minutes what the next action is for this email. If it's going to require more than one NA to complete then it's a project (the same process below applies). Let's say it is simple and a 5 minute phone call is what is required.

2. Holding your RIGHT mouse button down drag the email from your Inbox to Tasks on the menu on the left hand side of your Outlook.

3. Release the mouse button. A menu pops up giving you three options. First is to Copy Here as Task with Text. The second is to Copy Here as Task with Attachment. The third is to Move Here as Task with Attachment.

4. Select the one you want. I'd recommend either #2 or #3. A Task dialog pops up. Complete the fields you need to (including category to get the GTD context right) and save.

Now you have a task on your NA list in the right context, in this case @Calls. You do not have to trawl your Project email folders trying to determine and remember your next actions.

Hope this helps.

Simon
 
Another alternative is to have a separate mailbox called @Action: everything that will take longer than 2 minutes to deal with goes in here. If you're using Outlook, I believe you can use the email to create a task with the appropriate title (ie not just Reply or Deal With). If you're using a Mac, you can use MailTags and MailActOn to change the title when you move it.

Basically, the important part is to collect all of your emails requiring action together, either by throwing them all in one @Action mailbox, or by creating Tasks that all cling together in their space: you don't want to have action reminders scattered all over the place, because that's almost guaranteed to lose something through the cracks. Keep you system simple and it'll keep your life simple.
 
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If you go to the Home site and check out the online store, you will find a set of articles David has written. If you register you can get them all for free. There used to be one on email.

Regards,
Gordon
 
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