Life Of E's

In addition to the ASAR folder discussed in yesterday’s post, another one to help keep your inbox unclogged is “Waiting For” – and you use it for any email that you are not yet finished with because it has at least one more action associated with it, but you can’t go further with the action until you receive something else (that is, what it is you are WAITING FOR).

These are the kinds of emails that belong in your WF (Waiting For) folder:

• You forwarded an email to someone with directions to handle it, but yet, you are ultimately responsible for the outcome. cc yourself on the email and when it comes back to you, put the email in the WF (Waiting For) folder.
• You ordered something online and received a confirmation email. Put that in the WF folder.
• You are working to complete a budget and asked a colleague for some information you need to finish that budget. cc yourself and keep the email you receive in the WF folder.
• You sent out a proposal to a prospective client and of course, cc yourself. You put the incoming email into the WF folder.

I recommend that you look through your WF folder every day or two to make sure that you do not need to do an additional follow-up.

Keep in mind that when you defer an email, it’s a deliberate and reasoned decision you have made. By using the ASAR and the WF folders, your deferred emails aren’t deferred too long. You always want to stay in the productive mode – with email and in the other areas of your personal and professional life.

And if you would like additional ways of getting and staying productive, then please join others (worldwide) who receive Meggin’s weekly emails (and see what is available for download at no cost at the following websites):

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(c) 2009 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., “The Ph.D. of Productivity”(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh changes what people know, feel, dream, and do. Sound interesting? It is!

Tags: action, email, Productivity, time, waiting for response