Declutter Your Inbox in 5 Easy Steps

Declutter Your Inbox in 5 Easy StepsIs your inbox clogged with emailles you just dont have it in you to respond to? Ill do that tomorrow, you think. And again the next day. And again. Until its lodged safely on the previous screen and all thats left is the niggling sense of guilt that you didnt do something you were supposed to do. Sound familiar?It might not be all your fault. So many emails these days are too long and too unclear. Theyre harder to respond to because theres no clear information or ask identifiable. But thats someone elses problem, you think. Right? Well, sort of.What if we all started paying more attention to making our emails shorter, clearer, and more succinct? Think of it as the email revolution. And part of that revolution involves taking these 5 steps to declutter your inbox.1. Cut it in halfThink before you write. Whats your general expected word count for this particular bit of correspondence? 250 words? Write it out, then see if you can cut it in half, by we eding out unnecessary words, equivocations, and superfluous details. Keep practicing this and eventually youll be able to half it before you start writing and save yourself the editing step.2. Think 5 sentences or bustThis wont work in every situation, obviously. Discretion here is key. But, whenever possible, try to challenge yourself to send emails of 5sentencesmax.3. Pyramid itJournalists often use the pyramid technique when writing nachrichtensendung stories. Put the most important information right up front, then the pleasantries and other sundries in decreasing order of importance down the page. That way you reader knows immediately what this email is about and what you need from them.4. Dont get lazyDont think of shorter emails as an excuse to slack. Were talking sharper, better emailsnot just one-line, half-baked responses that will only frustrate your colleagues and your boss. Try to see whether you can solve the problem, finish the project, and make the email chain stop at your deskthrough a bit of careful thinking.5. Clarity is keyOne of the best parts about this new email philosophy is that it will encourage you to ask for what you need and wantclearly, and without hedging bets or hemming and hawing around your questions. Make it easy for people to help you, or say yes to your proposal, or just correspond with you in the course of business. Youll all be better off.