43 Folders

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43Folders.com is Merlin Mann’s website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work.

Anyone else having problems replying to emails?

I'm so bad replying to emails. They just keep piling. I read them the moment they come, but something keeps me from replying or acting on them. How do you deal with emails? Do having specific blocks of time devoted to email writing works for you? How you balance replying to emails with the other parts of your work? Is anyone using Groupwise for your emails? Any tips for using it? The new version is able to attach labels to the emails and changes the color of the header accordingly. Now I have a very colorful inbox but as full as before.

Laura M.'s picture

.... If I'm on the right...

stevecooper wrote:
....

If I'm on the right track, I wonder if you might make some big improvements by figuring out how better to respond to requests from any source, rather than concentrating on requests by email?

If I've heard you right (and please correct me if I haven't!) then you might want to figure out some new ways to say no to requests. Then you could apply that to the 'gimme' emails you get, and clear your inbox up. ;)


You're sooo right. I have the same tendency to get annoyed by requests in general, email it's just so much easier to ignore than a call or a direct question from a colleague. Mhmm, I'll have to give a little more thought to this one.

 
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