Go Ask Debbie
Dec 10, 20192 min
Updated: Jan 13, 2021
When it comes to emails, I focus on using 4 D’s of Time Management:
If you missed 4 D's of Time Management - Part 1, click here to read it for further information on time management.
Delete It – If it is not important, I delete it immediately. These are emails that are junk and marketing emails that are not important to me.
Do It – If it takes less than 5 minutes, I do it now and then file it away and move on.
Delegate It – If someone else can or should handle the email, then I forward it to them and either file it away or delete it. And,
Defer It – This can sometimes be the hardest of the 4 D’s – If it will take more than 5 minutes to take care of it, I Flag it to take care of later. I may move it to a specific date and time on my calendar or in my Task List. But, if you defer it, always remember to add a reminder somewhere or it will get lost.
It may seem like these are all things we have heard of, but believe it or not, I work with people all the time who don't know about these things or have never heard of these time management and prioritization techniques.
Below is an Infographic that I keep handy to remind me to "Prioritize Like a Pro" and to keep working on the "Big Rocks."
Feel free to save it and use it yourself to help you prioritize!
If you missed 4 D's of Time Management - Part 1, click here to read it for further information on time management.
If you're interested in learning how to use Outlook for Time & Task Management, download my FREE 65 Ways to Use MS Office to be More Productive! eBook.