Do not hate me, please! Yes, I’m in lovely San Juan, Puerto Rico, and sights like these are pretty common. It’s a work trip for the hubby, and fun WFA* for me!! 

(WFA = work from anywhere)

Also, play from anywhere! Like reading next to the pool with a tropical libation? Yes, please!

What are you reading right now? Let me know!

When you’re on the road, and you only have a finite number of things with you, life can be simpler, wouldn’t you agree? Decision fatigue is just not a thing when you only have the options that lie in your suitcase. 

Simple. Simpler. Simplify. 

I love those words.

Do you know what is NOT easy to see as simple?

EMAIL. 

I love talking about email because I know what it feels like to be drowning, failing, missing things…all because of inbox chaos.

But, I am living proof that you CAN be in charge of your email!!!

Right, Elle?

I knowwwwwww! You’ve tried before!! You’ve read about the Stack Method. You’ve tried services like Unroll Me. You maybe even paid your child to delete and unsubscribe from 1000s of emails. (No judgement!)

And you’re thinking “nothing’s worked and it’s freaking hopeless…”

Guess what?? All those previous attempts were actually a NECESSARY PART of your own personal journey with your email. Everything teaches you something new, and you are integrating it. It’s true. (I’m living proof.)

YUP. Let’s dissect that.

Question: do you find time to clean your whole entire house top-to-bottom all in one day? Heck, no!! You have to tackle it in chunks: one room at a time, over time. It’s a process.

It’s the same with email. You can NOT deal with it all at once. That’s a fool’s errand. It must be tackled little by little.

Here are some things I’ve learned over the last couple of years that I’ve molded into my own systems that are manageable for my oh-so-distractible brain:

Ask yourself, “What will I DO in reaction to a particular email?”

• Nothing? Then delete and/or unsubscribe.

• Need it for reference but rarely will read it? Create a filter.

• Need to take an action? Then make labels, ACTIONABLE labels, not just a bunch of nebulous FILE FOLDERS (the fewer the better)

• Need to schedule something or interact with the calendar? Create a label: ADD TO CALENDAR (and then BATCH those tasks later!)

• Not sure what to do with it, but you feel you cannot delete it for sentimental or other inexplicable reasons? Create a label: WHEN/sentimental archive

• Have you tried looking at the oldest emails first? You’ll find so many have “timed out” and are now delete-able. Whoohoo!

• Worried about archiving? Don’t be!! It’s still there in “ALL MAIL” but not clogging up your inbox or your action labels. The “search” function will help you every. single. time.

And repeat. Never give up. You’re always making progress, figuring out what works for YOU, and making breakthroughs.

Elle Woods is pulling for you!!!

Click here to register for May the Fourth’s “Just Log In!” workshop: Return of the Email!!! (it’s free)

Get real-time support in our Thursday workshops!! 

We are here to help you with these digital dramas!!