In this episode, I walk you through how I process the digital items that come my way each day, including email, notes in my Capture Tool, and text messages. This is a real life, informal look at what end of day digital processing actually looks like and how I keep things from piling up or falling through the cracks.
I prefer to process most digital inputs at the end of the day instead of constantly checking my phone throughout the day. As a stay at home mom, this helps me stay present with my kids while still making sure nothing important is missed. I do quick scans during the day for anything urgent, then process everything in the evening for faster and calmer processing.
Throughout this episode, I reference parts of our STEP Command Central. The Command Central gives every incoming item a clear home so decisions can be made quickly. Instead of reacting to emails or texts as they arrive, I use our 8 Processing Questions (more about that linked in the show notes) to decide whether something needs action.
How I Process Emails
In this episode, I walked through several examples from my inbox and explained how I make decisions quickly.
Most emails only require a brief skim to check for hidden action items. If no action is needed, I either file the email into a general folder or delete it.
If something looks useful but needs more focused attention, I move it into my Read and Review folder so it is safely out of my inbox but easy to find later. (This is only for emails that have NO action items inside.)
For purchases or downloads, I either complete the task right away if it takes two minutes or less, or I write down the task on the “Computer” section of my Next Actions List and store the email in a temporary holding folder connected to my Next Actions List.
The goal during processing is not to finish everything. The goal is to extract actions and get items into trusted places.
I am also working on simplifying my email folders. Instead of having lots of specific categories, I am moving toward broader groupings like “Family” or “Personal.” That’s one of my Current Projects for the month. 🙂
As part of daily processing, I look for newsletters or emails I no longer want and unsubscribe. This helps reduce the volume of incoming email without needing to do a large cleanup session.
I also keep a recurring reminder to check my spam folder weekly since important emails occasionally end up there.
A Note on Using a Context Based Next Actions List
When tasks take about 5-15 minutes or require more energy, I add them to my Next Actions List. These lists are organized by where or how the task will be done, such as computer, home, errands, or to discuss.
This allows me to move emails out of my inbox without losing track of what still needs to be done.
Using and Processing My Capture Tool
I use a simple digital Capture Tool in the Notes app on my phone. Any time a thought, idea, link, or reminder pops into my head, I write it there for safekeeping.
At the end of the day, I process each item on the list and decide where it belongs in my Command Central.
This includes things like:
- Saving a business related idea to review later as a possible project
- Transferring notes about a funny thing our son said into my daily journal
- Creating a calendar reminder to revisit a decision
- Collecting book recommendations to review later
Then I can delete the items from my Capture Tool and have a clean slate for the coming day.
Processing Text Messages
I usually respond to texts after my kids go to bed so I am not replying late at night.
Most of my texts are simple messages back and forth with family and friends, and some occasionally include action items. If I need to take an action on something, I use the 8 Processing Questions (linked below in the Related Links section) to figure out where it goes in my Command Central.
Some Final Thoughts
Before finishing for the night, I do a quick check of work messages and apps where I have family group chats to make sure nothing urgent came in. Most days, this takes only a minute or two. I also send a couple pictures/videos from the day in the immediate family group chats since we are the only family members that live far away.
If digital clutter feels overwhelming, treating it as a project can make a big difference. With simple routines in place to handle the incoming/daily things, you can know that any digital backlog is safe and will be handled when you have time to bring it to your Current Projects List. (And don’t be afraid to break the backlog down into several smaller projects!)
And finally, I totally recognize that some people do not want to have a “perfectly clear” digital inbox. No matter what your preference is, I hope this podcast episode was a helpful tool for you to gain some extra ideas on setting up a digital processing routine that makes the most sense for you.
Related Links:
Emails to Zero (aka, getting your email inbox to zero and having a safe place for your emails to be stored)
Free LearnDoBecome Community Facebook Group
YouTube Channel: Subscribe Here!
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I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to get some free things – this program HAS been helping me – in S L O W motion! I have been able to print up my plan sheets, work on some of it (dated) and I can look back it has been a part of my life planning every 3 months, but regularly. AND I can see (in my office, house, & plans) that I am finally making some baby step progress, and it feels so good! I cannot take the time to actually TAKE the class, but I have proven to myself that having a system (this one) CAN make a difference.
T H A N K Y O U !
I’m so happy to hear that you’ve been enjoying the free resources on our site, and it sounds like you are making some awesome progress with setting up your own STEP System. Thanks for being here with us! 🙂
This was a podcast that helped me so much. I have had medical issues which have prevented me from doing what I normally do. So your tips have helped to reduce the overwhelm.
I hear so many people talk about Calendar alerts. pardon my ignorance, but what is a calendar alert?What choice have you chosen?
… Google calendar with Gmail
… iPhone calendar
Does theCalendar alert, appear in email, text, Or some other way?
I’m so glad this podcast was helpful! I personally use Google Calendar, and when I create a calendar event, there’s an option to decide how far in advance an alert/notification will pop up on my phone. My default is 10 minutes before an event is set to start, and I often don’t need the notifications because I am checking my calendar several times throughout the day. Everyone can customize their notifications to meet their needs and preferences, and you can just search online “how to create calendar notifications for _____” and insert your calendar of choice in the blank space. 🙂
Could you give us some tips about names for email folders? I am trying to simplify mine. I think these would work.
— Family
— Friends
— Internet orders
— Insurance
— Home. Learn do become.
— Classes. Newsletters
I think that’s a great start! I also like to have a “Waiting” folder for anything I’m waiting on (packages, projects, family things, etc.), medical, car, church, etc. I am trying to figure out the major categories of my life and whittle down my folder amount so that I just have these larger umbrella categories to choose from.
You can also find some of our LearnDoBecome recommendations and ideas in this free training: https://learndobecome.com/new-emails-to-zero