Mailmanager

[HoD]

Hi,

My job is somewhat of a mail-manager (a manager of his mail not people)
these days. My inbox is full and emptying is not even a goal anymore... :-?

I am using a basic version of waiting for macro's and NA's (tasks).
However the NA i am using limits to 1, @computer because that's what i do most in combination with @waiting for because of the reminders.
The other Na's are never or hardly used.

I am wondering why i put all my mail in a NA(task) @computer and after doing so switching to it and work on thes NA's (tasks).
The only purpose of this is trying to empy my inbox.

Is there an easier way of GTD'ing with 1 or at the most 2 NA's?

mvg
Jerry

 

[emkay]

Jerry,
I'm not sure I'm understanding the question, but...

When you get all that email (we feel your pain!) in your inbox, what are you doing next?

What kind of email is it? Do you need to respond right away to a user with a problem, or is it more of a task assignment to you, or is it something you have to "guess" about what comes next, like a memo to your department reminding everyone to follow the new billing policy?

That should determine what type of next action you actually have, and they may not be all of one type. Then dump all those emails into the appropriate folder that gives you your next cue.

If they really are all the same kind of action, maybe you don't really need to move them physically out of the inbox, but just flag them if they are not done or something like that.

HTH,
emkay

 

[Sabina]

I don't understand anything...
You will use Becky mail manager for resolve all of problem ;-)

 

[Tomas D.]

Do you get any productivity boost by using the @computer context? If not, drop it, and only use the @waitingfor one.

GTDing is not that much about contexts, as it is about other things:
Only visit each email once.
Mercilessly delete useless emails.
2 minute rule.
Next actions.
and so on.

 

[Brent]

HoD: What's your job?

 

[Ruud]

I use Outlook 2007 but this works in Outlook 2003 as well: The Empty Non-Empty Inbox.

• If not already present, make a search folder for Unread mail
• Make a search folder for unprocessed mail. These are items in your inbox which have no flag.
• Set your email to be marked read once you click on it
• Use Unread and Unprocessed as the main navigation

Result: no moving email around. You flag an email with "whatever". If nothing at all is required, flag it with the complete flag. This prevents the email from showing up in Unprocessed and acts as an almost physical reminder that yes, you did see this email.