I think one of the hardest things about having my own business is staying organized and on top of projects.
One of the best things I did this past year was to set up separate Outlook folders for email I wanted to keep. This was one of the many helpful recommendations in David Allen’s book Getting Things Done. Like my physical desktop, I like my inbox to be clean. Now I have an Outlook folder for each project, class, and book, and one for pending clients. Now I know where to find everything!
An artist might have the following Outlook or other mail program folders:
- Upcoming Exhibitions
- Web site Additions and Corrections
- Things to Read
- People to Follow Up With
- Newsletter Ideas
- Mailing List Additions
- Galleries to Visit
- Exhibits to See
One of my favorite folders is "Someday/Maybe." It’s stuff I don’t want to forget, but isn’t pressing.
Whenever you get an email that you have responded to or acted upon, drag it to a new folder and keep it as long as you like.
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