Microsoft Outlook can be an extremely useful productivity tool when it comes to prioritizing the time you spend on email. However if you are unfamiliar with Outlook’s functions you may not be getting any of the benefits it has to offer to you. This article is part of a series of articles that will help you as begin organizing your Microsoft Outlook.
Email should be used as a tool to help manage and process the projects that are important for your life and work. But with the hundreds or even thousands of emails coming into your mailbox it’s difficult at times to effectively use and process email. Microsoft Outlook Rules Wizard helps you manage your incoming emails. You can use Rules to automatically sort, prioritize, and reduce the flow of your email.
Why you should use rules when organizing Microsoft Outlook
If you have a ton of email to go through using Rules Wizard can be like having a personal assistant to help you organize Microsoft Outlook. There are a number of different ways to use the Rules Wizard. You can use it to have emails sorted into different folders based on who sent the email, the type of message or subject line, even whether you are CC’d or the primary recipient on the email. You can flag messages that come in from certain people or have an alert set for when you receive an email from a specific person. Use it to plan ahead with a function that can even delay the sending of a message.
I suggest this super helpful way using Rules. If you are receiving multiple e-newsletters, direct all of your e-newsletters into a folder to be read. Create an Action folder titled “.Read” and then follow the instructions below to create your rule that will direct your newsletters there. This will help reduce the flow of email in your inbox. It is important to schedule a time each week to go through this folder and read what has come in. The goal of this folder is to help you organize your time and inbox, not to create a place for emails to pile up and collect cyber dust! If you find you receive an e-newsletter that you don’t read over and over again consider unsubscribing. Being honest with yourself about what email you do and don’t need will help you while organizing Microsoft Outlook. Don’t waste time glancing at and a deleting an email every week or month that isn’t pertinent to you if you don’t have to!
How to use Microsoft Outlook rules
Creating a rule:
Before you begin create the folder you will be directing your email into, or confirm that it already exists.
1. Select Tools, then Rules and Alerts, and then New Rule
2. Select Start From a Blank Rule
3. Highlight, Check Messages after Sending, and then click Next
4. Check off with specific words in the subject. Next click on specific words and choose a unique keyword for your rule, for example “newsletter”. Click Add, OK, Next.’’
5. Uncheck move a copy to the specified folder. Then click on specified folder and choose from the list. Click Finish.
A quick tip
There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Don’t abuse the Rule Wizard. If you overuse the Wizard by creating a ton of folders this tool will become a hindrance. Instead of being a helpful personal assistant your Rules will become a time waster!
Organizing Microsoft Outlook by creating rules to better sort and filter your email today means less wasted time, energy, and money tomorrow!