If you use the Outlook Calendar or Tasks List to get your work done, here’s a quick tip on how to convert emails to appointments or tasks.
Why might you need this? Like me, you probably get a lot of requests to get things done via email. You also probably send many emails that you want to follow up on. I personally do not use my Tasks List or Calendar for this (I use eeminders which lets me use my Inbox as my To Do list. However if you use your Tasks List or Calendar, this is what you can do.
OPTION 1: (FREE) Create a Task or Appointment from Emails.
All you need is Outlook…
- Select the Email (either from your Inbox or Sent Items folder)
- Drag-and-drop it from the folder to either your Task List or your Calendar.
This will automatically create a new Appointment or a new Task for you that you can then modify with due dates etc!
If you also want to attach the email to the newly created appointment or task (for easy reference later)… you can drag & drop the email using the right mouse button (instead of the left), this will give you the option to attach the email to the appointment or task.
I prefer the Right click option. Have the full email attached to the appointment/task makes it easier to Reply or Forward if I need to.
While the free option will work, here’s a few additional options that you may want to look at to really boost your productivity.
Option 2: File and create the appointment/task automatically when you click Send
If you send out a lot of emails that you need to follow up on, I would recommend QuickFile for Outlook. It automatically prompts you every time you send an email out. The email will be filed to the correct folder after it is sent and your follow-up task or calendar item will be created for you.
Option 3: Get your reminders at the top of your Inbox on the correct day and time
I have personally found that I forget to look at my Calendar and Task List and as a result many actions get left undone. I have started using eeminders which shows me what I need to work at the top of my Inbox. You can watch a demo video or download a trial version of eeminders for Outlook from here.
I hope you find this tips useful.
Do you know of other ways to schedule your work and complete them on time?
Share it with us by leaving a comment below.
