July 2005, Vol 12, Issue 5
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This month we have two articles designed to assist you daily in your work.
The Email Tamer
Do you fight a constant battle with incoming email? Would you like to see an almost empty inbox again? Well, here’s something that will help you!
This issue I want to outline the merits of using a Filter or Rules Wizard in your email program. Probably the most widely used email program is Outlook but you may be using a different program – hopefully it will have the ability to do some, or all, of these things for you.
As a business operator you may find yourself working for more than one person and they may be located in many different departments or perhaps even states or countries. You may also find yourself working on more than one project for each person. Add to that your suppliers for different services, products and resources.
Along with your client support, you might also belong to several online forums, perhaps some user groups for different software, receive newsletters relating to things you’re interested in and so on.
So how do you handle all the email that comes in? Well, you can use the Rules Wizard (in the Tools menu for Outlook) to help sort through the email as it arrives.
You already know that bolded email is unread, regular text is read mail. So, you can tell your email program to sort the email as it comes in and distribute it to different folders, knowing that if you see a bolded number in brackets beside the folder name, there is unread mail.
I have a Clients folder and inside that folder, a folder for each client. Some clients have more than one project operating, such as regular newsletters, workshops and seminars, or other items, so I can get email that comes from that client to automatically sort into the relevant folder, ready for me to tackle at the appointed time. If I’ve been doing a broadcast email for a client and received bounce backs (undeliverable email, full mailboxes, etc) I get it to automatically sort into a separate folder for me to go through and delete off their mailing list at a time suitable for me. This is so that important action items doesn’t get lost amongst all the other email as it comes in.
You’ll see the sample list to the left here – the + indicates there are more folders inside that folder. The – indicates the folder list is open and you can view the folders inside that folder.
I belong to several different forums online – around 20. Whilst that sounds like a lot and could be considered a time waster, I actually find a use for every single one of these forums. Some of them are Virtual Assistant networks where I learn from others, and contribute also. I also belong to a Dreamweaver forum which has been very useful, 2 self-publishing ebook forums, an international networking group, some women’s groups and so on. Those I consider important to my business I check and read the messages every day, often not long after they come in, but for others, I might only look at them in the evenings when I’m not busy or every few days. Again, I have these sorted in a Memberships folder, which in turn has a folder for each forum. – I do this so that when looking at my list of folders in Outlook I don’t have a long list that I have to scroll through, but rather a shorter list that has sub lists attached to it.
I try hard to keep my inbox down to less than 16 in there on a daily basis – these are usually action items that need doing that day which I’ve dragged back out of a folder, or haven’t yet categorised.
In the essence of keeping my mind and my day uncluttered, using the Rules Wizard tool enables me to keep things orderly without wasting my time sorting through things to work out what I need to do. The nature of my business is that a very large part of my work comes in via email, so this makes it a very effective tool to use.
You can also set the Rules Wizard up to permanently delete annoying junk mail that comes through regularly, just by telling it to look for certain words in the subject or body of the text. Unfortunately it cannot read graphical text so some of that junk mail still gets through and if you have Outlook 2003 you will see it automatically puts most of this stuff into a junk mail folder for you to go through at your leisure – either mark the email as coming from a safe sender, or leave it marked as spam for deletion. But knowing that you can set rules to delete offending email so that you don’t even have to view it is a worthwhile thing – especially if other eyes view your computer on occasion (like your children, for example).
On occasion you might find you get duplicates of email – or it appears that way. The reality is that one email might meet the criteria of 2 of your rules, and it therefore duplicates the email and files it into two different folders. If that’s the case you might need to think about whether the rules need to be re-set with different wording or criteria, or whether the double filing suits your needs.
So, now you know more about using the Rules Wizard for your email program, spend some time exploring and experimenting so that you can get your email and inbox into a semblance of order.
Become Resilient to Business Pressure
As a Self Employed Business Owner, you are your business. You are the marketer, client relations manager, office administrator, help desk, occupational health and safety officer…and the office support team! So, it is you who has to manage the pressures of working long hours, cash flow issues, keeping up to date with your industry changes, heavy workloads, as well as finding time for your personal/family life – without burning yourself out.
So, how do you do it?
The key is being able to manage yourself when working under pressure. For the past 15 years I have helped thousands of people to become resilient so they can bounce back fast from the pressures and stresses of their work. Here are 3 tips to help you do the same:
1. Release Physical Tension
Spending a lot time, each day, sitting at a desk, on the computer, or in the car will create muscle tension. If not released, that tension will make your body feel tired, sluggish and achy. By stretching your body every 2-3 hours for just 45 seconds, you can increase your energy levels and reduce aches and pains. Try this out:
Stretch your chest : Lean into a doorframe with your hands on the doorframe at about eye level height. Or, clasp your hands behind your back and lean forward and then bring your hands towards the ceiling. Hold for 7 seconds. This will help to open the chest, ease breathing, release upper back and neck stiffness.
2. Develop a resilient mental attitude
According to medical research, being in a negative state of mind (or emotionally depressed) can reduce the strength of your immune system (i), making you more susceptible to illness. Persistent bad moods can also lead to poor health.(ii) Worry and frustration create tension in your body making you more prone to fatigue, muscle pain and illness.
Focus your mind on the solutions you need, and take consistent action that moves you towards resolving the situation, instead of worrying about the problems you encounter. People who are optimistic about their challenges has found to have healthier immune systems, are not as adversely affected by stress, and suffer half the number of infections as pessimists (iii).
3. Switch off
You need to separate your work and home lives – especially if you have a home-office. Get dressed up nicely to go to work, and change into more ‘home’ clothes at the end of your day. Set clear times so that you are available to your family, and yourself, where you do not go back into the office to make ‘a quick call’ or return an email.
(i) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/01/010119080203.htm
(ii) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/05/020510074638.htm
(iii) Seligman, M., Learned Optimism, Random house, Sydney, 1994, Pg 175.
Michael Licenblat B.Sc.(Psych) is a Resilience Expert who helps people become resilient to pressure in work and life. To download his complimentary report on the ‘ Seven ways to prevent yourself becoming Over-Worked, Stressed-Out, and Run-Down’, visit:http://www.StressManagementSuccess.com
Books:
Seven Ways to Prevent Yourself Becoming Over-worked, Stressed-out and Run-Down is written by Michael Licenblat. See article above for details.
Website:
Planning on travelling and need to work out the different temperatures? Not all countries use Farenheit - some use Celsius as their measurement. There is an onlineconversion site that will assist you to work out it out. Go to http://www.onlineconversion.com/temperature.htm to try it out!
What is a Virtual Assistant?
It's a term for home-based secretaries, administrative and secretarial support, and others who supply 
remote or virtual support.
We are as close to you as your computer and can do almost anything traditional support staff do - except virtually. You don't need to provide office space, equipment, software or furniture - we have our own!
Location no issue as the work is carried out 'virtually' no matter where you are! See our newest members listed at VA Directory
