Inbox Hacks with Madison

We’re so thrilled to share some stellar advice from Madison Whiteneck of Keeping the Creativity. As a virtual assistant, Madison is exceptional at productivity and efficiency. We asked her for her tips on staying on top of your inbox and we love what she shares! Be sure to check her out on Instagram!

Inbox management is a part-time job in itself for any creative out there, especially during busy season. Some of us get caught up getting to “inbox zero” or others use our inbox as a distraction. In this post, I am going to share by go-to tips for getting your inbox under control and not letting it control you!

Set a timer

When it comes to your time in your email, stick to a timeline or schedule. For example, only check first thing when you get to your desk or after lunch time. Whatever you do, don’t go beyond three checks per day. As tempting as it is to continuously keep refreshing that email, most times all that you get coming through is junk. Limit the number of times you check as well as how long you are in there. I usually set a timer for about 15 minutes to file emails, trash junk and respond to pending messages. Once the timer is up, move on. 

Utilize canned responses

How often do you find yourself writing the same emails over and over again? I tend to have the same response to potential client inquiries or podcast pitches - you get the idea. Having this email drafted and ready to go within my Gmail canned responses saves me SO much time. You can access this feature through the Settings menu > Advanced > Templates > Enable option in your Gmail. If your email provider does not have this option, save a Word document to your desktop to make copying and pasting a little easier. 

Plugins are your best friend

There are so many different plugins to connect to your email account to make things even simpler and more efficient. One of my favorites is Boomerang for Gmail. With this plugin, you can schedule emails, pause new emails from coming through and distracting you, as well as many other one-of-a-kind features. On days where I am really tempted to procrastinate and check my inbox, pausing new messages with this plugin helps tremendously! 

These are just a few ways to gain control of your inbox and feel better organized to take on the day. Do you have a favorite tip or plugin to share? Let us know in the comments!