Lost HIT – Zealot's Blog

outlook 2007

本文主要针对outlook，不是因为outlook多么强大，而是很多公司考虑到保密问题都会自己建立邮件服务器。并且，公司内沟通经常使用约会、会议邀请等功能，也只有采用outlook那一大坨东西。
Outlook最大的麻烦就一个字：慢。用过outlook的人都应该有所体会。想要改善outlook速度只有一个办法：删掉所有的邮件。真的，删掉，全部删掉。一年前看到outlook数据文件达到400多兆时，我就毫不犹豫的选择了这个方法。后来，删掉这些邮件确实没有什么不好的影响。
日常管理时，尽量做到每收一封邮件就删掉。即使保留部分邮件，也应该控制保存时间尽量不要超过一周。
删掉后那些信息上哪找去？每一封邮件都有不同信息，需要放到不同地方，但绝对不应该原封不动地躺在收件箱里。
1）    通知公告类，看完就删
2）    垃圾邮件，删除
3）    需要确认某项操作的，回复，删除。
4）    报警、出错信息，加入todo，删除。
5）    有任务分配的邮件，加入todo，删除。
6）    邮件内容超长，标记未读，有时间再看；看完后，删除。（更好的方案是，转存到手机上，然后删除。我用的是evernote，直接集成到outlook中，不到1秒钟就可以完成转存工作）
7）    有重要信息，比如合作方联系方式（多在签名档中）。存到wiki，然后删除。这样做好处很多，首先，累积的邮件会使outlook变得极其臃肿，速度会大幅下降；其次，wiki很方便地与同事共享；最后，也是最重要一点，你离职的话需多久时间整理这些信息？事实上，离职后都会忘了处理这些信息。我就经历过这种痛苦，接手某项工作后，很多一部分精力都在查找各合作方的联系方式、以及相关的合作文档。
8）    其他，尽量删除吧。
关于存档，用outlook管理的话不推荐使用存档，存档会让你的outlook慢如蜗牛。我采用的方法是，笔记本上处理完邮件后立即删除。在公司的台式机上接受所有邮件，但不做任何处理，必要时会查询。事实上，基本上一个月也很难查1、2次。（只有一台电脑的话可以再启用另一个简单、便于查询的邮件工具来备份所有邮件，比如foxmail）

参考资料：
1）    这本书中有专门章节来讨论邮件处理技巧：《时间管理—给系统管理员》，http://www.douban.com/subject/2253513/。
2）    Zenhabits也有专门的讨论，可以参考，基本上思想差不多：http://zenhabits.net/2007/01/email-zen-clear-out-your-inbox/

1) Don’t check email first thing in the morning, or have it constantly on. This is a tip offered by many blogs, so nothing new here. Checking email first thing will get you stuck in email for awhile. Instead, do your most important thing for the day, or the thing you’ve been procrastinating on the most. Then check email. Better yet, do 2 or 3 things first. Also, if you are constantly checking email throughout the day, or it notifies you as soon as an email comes in, you will be constantly distracted and not able to focus on the task before you. I check once an hour, but you might have different needs.
2) When you check your email, dispose of each one, one at a time, right away. Make a decision on what needs to be done on each email.
2a) Is it junk or some forwarded email? Trash it immediately.
2b) Is it a long email that you just need to read for information? File it in a Read folder (or tag it Read and archive) or print it to read on the road (while waiting in line, for example).
2c) If the email requires action, make a note of the action on your to-do or GTD lists to do later. Also note to check the email for info if necessary. Then archive the email. You can easily find it later when you need to do that task.
2d) If you can respond to it in a minute or two, do so immediately. Don’t put it off. If you wait, you’ll end up with a backlog of emails to respond to, and you may never get around to it. I respond quickly, with a short note, and send it right away. That way I’m viewed as responsive and on top of things.
2e) If you need to follow up on the email later, or are waiting for a response, note it on a Waiting For list. Don’t just leave it in your inbox as a reminder.
3) I have only one folder: Archive. When I respond to an email, or finish reading it if it doesn’t need response, or note it on my to-do list, I archive it. Simple as that. You could add a Read folder if you want. I usually print longer ones to read later, like during lunch or while waiting for something. Other people have an Action folder or a Waiting For folder, but I find that that’s just an additional inbox (or “bucket” as GTD’s David Allen calls it) that you have to constantly check. I don’t like to check extra folders. I have my to-do lists and my Waiting For list, and that’s good enough. So it’s as simple as pressing “Archive” on an email, and if I need to find it later, Gmail’s search is so good that it’s easy to find. I’ve never had any problems with this system.
Email Zen is that easy: check email at regular periods, take action on each email right away (or note it on a list to do later) and archive.