Working Solo Minute - January 16, 2008 (#003)

It's the middle of January, and my email inbox is empty. Impressed? Don't be -- it's fairly simple. The trick is having a few key digital file folders and letting your email software search engine do the rest.

I rely on a handful of folders to do the main work of my inbox manage-ment. These are inspired by David Allen's Getting Things Done work/life management system, of which I've been a longtime fan (but nowhere near a master, I humbly acknowledge). My email arrives in my inbox, gets processed and then routed to these folders:

* Action
The place where important and pending emails reside that are needing my attention, response, or other action step. This is where I (digitally) live most of the time. (If you're someone who hasn't received a response from me, chances are good your email is "resting" here.)

* Someday Maybe
The home of emails containing items that become my wish list -- places to see, books to buy, restaurants to try. A great place to visit for that 15-minute break on a weary work day, and to stash all those emails that you think, "Ooohhh, someday I'd love to try that...."

* Travel
The folder that holds airline, hotel, and travel details. When I'm scurrying around the night before a trip, I know I'll find it all here.

* Waiting For
If I'm waiting to hear back from someone before an action can take place, the email gets parked here. Also, once an item is ordered online, I place the confirmation email(s) here so I can easily track their delivery. A great time-saver when you're trying to track down a lost package, or an item that seems tardy in its arrival. After the item is delivered, all emails move to...

* Purchases 2008
The home of all online receipts. Each year I start a new folder.

* Project folders
For specific projects, I will create individual folders. The most current email generally resides in the Action or Waiting For folder.

* General Correspondence, by quarter
This is my cleanup tactic. At the end of each quarter, I quickly review anything lingering in my inbox that needs attention and pop it into "Action." (Most of the rest is usually unfiled emails that have been hanging around, collecting digital dust.) I then "Select All" and drag these remnants to a file folder marked "General Correspondence" by quarter. For example, if there's inbox mail not needing processing on April 1, 2008, it will all get moved to "Genl Correspondence 2008 Q1." Yes, this is arbitrary, and I could do it by month, or just all in one main 2008 folder. But this approach gives me a fresh start at an empty inbox at least every 3 months if I fall behind.

Forget the Filing
My biggest "aha" over the past few years: Don't waste time filing all those emails. Just delete them or get them out of the way. If you need to find a specific email, let your software search engine hunt it down for you.

Others have set up sophisticated scripts to automatically route their email, and Merlin Mann's 43 Folders site also has several approaches to inbox management, including tips on how to process all those emails.

I've been using this system for several years, and continue to refine it. Since each solo business is unique, use these approaches to inspire your own system. Free yourself of inbox burdens!

Followup:
Some readers have asked about the LabelWriter I use to create my file folder labels (mentioned in Issue #1). This small thermal printer (ie, no ink to worry about) connects via your USB port and takes 40 different types of labels -- file folder (printed 2-up), CD labels, shipping labels, small address labels, etc. The Amazon photo shows the CD label in the unit, which caused the confusion. But the printer takes multiples sizes and shapes of labels -- and it is one of my favorite office tools.

-- Terri Lonier
Founder, WorkingSolo.com