A Great Way to Manage Gmail

Gmail offers some great tools to help you manage tasks using your email.  I made the switch to Gmail last year and am very happy I did.  I used to use a GTD “Getting Things Done” plug in for Gmail to help manage my tasks but I decided to try something different.  I’m always looking for ways to streamline my productivity and the new colored label feature in Gmail provides it.  You can now color code your Gmail messages and make it easier to find them.  Using a tip from the book “Forget the 7 Habits and Break All the Rules” by Trapper Woods, I set up a simple label system using his “stop light” metaphor.  Red is for tasks that need to be done immediately or are high priority.  “Green” tasks are what you should really focus on.  These are the tasks that you can plan out in advance and get them done before the move into the “red” category and increase your stress.  “Yellow” messages are ones that can be time robbers and not really add to your immediate productivity.  You should use “caution” when addressing these messages hence the yellow stop light code.  For me, Yellow messages are ones that I will look at when time isn’t an issue.  If I have a moment to relax or review them in the evening, I may re-code them to Red or Green to move them along if necessary or just to get them out of the way.  In the ministry context, Yellow messages can also be tasks that I can delegate to others.

This simple system allows me to filter emails I receive immediately and address the ones that need taken care of in the right order.  For now, Gmail doesn’t have the color yellow in its color labeling so I use the burnt orange color for it.  I also use blue as the color for my “reference” file.  Any messages I need to save for future reference or eventually archive in Gmail are tagged with the “reference” label for future needs.  This can be handy when you have an email you know you might need in a month just for informational purposes but don’t want to archive it.

This system allows me to begin each day with a ready task list.  I now simply access my gmail, label or delete any new messages, and then prepare my tasks by sorting by color code.  I can put everything on a 3 x 5 index card and be on my way for the day.  I’ll immediately put the red tasks at top (pay bill, visit someone, etc..), find several green tasks that will keep my stress level down and do as many of those as is possible (write letter, address future problem, etc..) and then, I might put a yellow task on the bottom of the card in case I have time for it….(schedule coffee with Mr. Xyz just because)…  This, coupled with my task management system I’ll discuss later, keep my mind clear and my stress down.  As a pastor, I want to filter out as much unneeded stress as is possible.

So what do you like and/or do for task management?  I’m always open to ideas.