Here are a few ways to automatically get reminded to work on an email that you have received but do not need/want to work on till some date/time in the future.
Option 1: Flag the email with a reminder
This is an OK option if you don’t mind keeping the email in your Inbox (I’ve got some options later that will even remove the email from your Inbox until you need it).
Right click on the email, click Follow-up and then click Add Reminder.
Enter the relevant information in the screen and click OK.
The problems with this method are:
- The email actually stays in your Inbox which can be a distraction and affect your productivity.
- You can’t add any notes to the original email (unless you are using Email Notes for Outlook)
Option 2: Convert the Email to your Calendar or Task List (drag-and-drop)
Many Outlook users do not realise this but you can convert an email to a Task or Calendar by dragging it to the Task or Calendar folder.
A new Task or Calendar Item will be created and opened with the email content in it. You can set the appropriate date to be reminded.
I prefer to drag-and-drop using the right (instead of left) mouse button. This gives 3 options when I drop the email:
Copy here as Task with Text
Copy here as Task with Attachment
Move here as Task with Attachment
I choose either Copy or Move with Attachment options. This way the new Task has the email attached to it. I can simply double-click the attached email to respond.
Option 3: Use QuickFile for Outlook to remove your emails and have them magically reappear at the correct date and time
In an earlier post, we mentioned how QuickFile for Outlook can be used to DEFER emails. If you are a QuickFile user then this is the nicest option.