Still using your inbox as a To Do List? 5 reasons why it’s ruining your productivity

We’ve probably all done it  – left emails unread and vowed to return and answer them later on. Yet as a long-term strategy, it’s not just unreliable, it’s probably taking up more of your headspace than you realise.

So here are my top 5 reasons why you should never use your inbox as a To Do list:

1. You’re spending far too long searching for emails

If your inbox is busy, your emails will be soon be out of sight and out of mind.  Spending time trying to search for them is a waste of your valuable time.

2. You’re losing or missing important project updates

Unless you’re an expert on filters, filing and are using software such as Boomerang, the chances are you’re not even seeing some of the emails you should be.

3. There’s no system for prioritising

Most people tend to just work from the top down and deal with the most recent emails first.  If it’s not on page 1 of your inbox, what could you have missed that’s crucial to your business?

4. You’re clogging up your headspace

A cluttered inbox can be overwhelming.  Trying to keep tabs on all the emails you have and how important they are can be exhausting.

5. You don’t have a VA managing your inbox

With a VA, you can email tasks to yourself all day long (and even out of hours so you don’t disturb them) and your VA will pick these up and manage and schedule them for you. 

So, what should you be doing instead?

One choice is using a Task management software such at Trello, Monday, ClickUp or Todoist.  Here you can invite your team to contribute to tasks too, taking communication out of the inbox and keeping track of all the interactions in one place.

My favourite way of making sure I have time to respond to important emails (the ones left after my VA has done her ninja-style execution of my inbox) is to schedule it in my diary, often in the gaps between other commitments.  If you don’t, you’re relying on spare time in your day to deal with these things and, as you’ll know, most of us just don’t have this.

Of course, my final suggestion would be to use a VA, or perhaps extend their role if you already do. From organising your inbox and helping you reach inbox zero, through to scheduling your diary and managing your To Do list, a VA can really get the overwhelm under control and give you back the time and control you need to run your business.

If you’d like to find out more, get in touch at hello@vi-va.co.uk and see how we could help your efficiency.