Problem
How do you clear clutter from your inbox to find today's meetings?
Answers
1 NEW TEMPORARY EMAIL
Create a new email for vital messages. Gradually eliminate unwanted mailings from the old one. (You may need to devote half a day to coding this, perhaps Sunday morning or afternoon. When your old inbox is clear, you can transfer the new messages back, or stay with the new one, having told people by personal emails, or started a forwarding system, or update automatically on each system's change of address notification page.
2 NEW PERMANENT EMAIL
Supposing you yo-yo between two cities or two countries or two companies. It would be obvious that if you worked for Shell and Cat Rescue that you would have two emails, MrJon/Jane-Smith-At-Shell and MrJon/Jane-Smith-at-cat-rescue. You can adopt the same principle for countries and cities. MrJon/Jane-Smith-in-USA and MrJon/Jane-Smith-Europe/Asia/NZ. Similarly, Jon/JaneinNY and Jon/JaneinLA.
Story
I switch to a new country and I can't work out where I am meant to be - my email in box is full of so many messages about meetings from my last destination, plus items I wanted to buy for a different season.
Tips
If you don't want somebody else (relative or company) to have access to my computer to clean it up, check on the internet or ask them what they would do. Then I do it.
Don't let the emails inundate you. Cheer yourself up. Be in control.Knowing what to do is the first step in a four part process:
1 COLLECT INFORMATION
a) Identify problem.
b) identify solution.
c) THINKING OF SOLUTION
Get familiar with idea of the solution. (Thinking time, or take a break, or sleep on it.)
2 DECIDE & PLAN IST ACTION
Return to Resolve. You know what should be done. List actions. Decide to do it, today, tomorrow, ideally take first step.
3 ACTION MOMENTUM
Often once you have taken the first step you are on your way. Once you have got into the car, you automatically start driving. Once you have taken up the pen and paper, you start writing. Once you have invited your friend for tea, you start rushing to buy the food, make the food and sweep the floor. Once you have checked your bank balance, you plan to start saving or stop spending. Once you have seen the leaking problem, you phone the plumber.
4 CELEBRATE SUCCESS
Note time taken and money spent so that you can repeat action next year, or delegate to others.
Moral / Motto
Don't let the buzzers get you down. (My polite version of a less polite saying.)
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
Author of How to get out of the mess you're in.
See my books on Amazon.com and Lulu.com
I have posts and profiles on blogger.com, FaceBook, LinkedIn and videos on YouTube. Please like my posts, follow me and share.
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