Why are we here

We’re going to talk about tools today. This is going to be a little bit of a different podcast as we’re diving into the tools we use to get work done in our daily lives. Today we’re talking about email. We all use it, and many of us have a hard time keeping it under control.

How we keep our inboxes under control

How we organize our lives in email?

- Shaun
  - Uses Outlook at work and Gmail at home
  - Does not let email drive his day
    - Does not check his email in real time. Sets aside time to check his email. As discussed in Episode 15, he tries not to check his email at home.
    - Twice a day at least, but normally every few hours.
    - The philosophy he lives by is if you need him urgently he is on IM and has his cell with him.
    - Turns off notifications
  - The tricks he uses
    - Uses the GTD principles (Getting Things Done by David Allen) of if an email has a next action that will take 2-5 minutes he completes it right then.
      - If it’s larger, he considers that a task that needs to be organized and planned.
      - Considers it a mistake to consider all email something that needs to be done right then. Should be prioritized just like every other task.
    - Uses Evernote
      - Integrates with Outlook
        
        Can simply click to create a new task in Evernote with the email and info he needs.
      - Has powerful tagging features
        
        Shaun uses three primary tags for his tasks list.
        
        Now
        
        Everything that has to be done by end of business at the end of the week.
        
        Next
        
        Next action/On Deck
        
        Later
        
        Items that may be a daunting or low priority. Eventually, want to get to these. He always tries to move something from the later category into the next category every week.
        
        Can also tag open items he has with people
        
        Can click on a person’s name and see all of the active items he has open with a person. Can help him get prepared for upcoming meetings.
    - Lives and breaths inbox zero
- Kolby
  - Uses Outlook at work and Gmail for personal/businesses
    - Does not let email drive his day
      - Does not check his email in real time. Sets aside time to check his email. As discussed in Episode 15, he tries not to check his email at home.
      - Twice a day at least is the rule he lives by as well.
      - The philosophy he lives by is email should be a last resort. if you need him urgently he is on IM and has his cell with him.
      - Turns off notifications
    - The tricks he uses
      - Uses the GTD principles Getting Things Done by David Allen of if an email has a next action that will take 2-5 minutes he completes it right then.
        
        If it’s larger, he considers that a task that needs to be organized and planned.
        
        Considers it a mistake to consider all email something that needs to be done right then. Should be prioritized just like every other task.
      - Uses Todoist
        
        Integrates with Outlook and Gmail as well as iOS and Android apps
        
        You can add emails needing action right into the application
        
        Separates work coming from email into projects, checklists, and routines
        
        Uses @waiting tags to track emails awaiting responses from someone on
      - Uses rules to get everything not needing attention out of his inbox
        
        Newsletters
        
        Marketing emails
        
        Corporate emails not needing immediate attention
      - Uses rules to highlight emails sent directly to him
      - Uses rules to automatically create tasks for routine emails that he knows will need action on
      - Using purposeful email groups/distribution lists can help make actions needed on emails even more clear
      - Proper usage of to vs. cc fields can also help highlight if someone needs to take action
        
        DON’T USE BCC
      - Automate common emails
        
        Autohotkey, Textexpander