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Cyber Skill #16
Setting up a reminder system

Introduction
This little trick is incredibly simple and I use it frequently.  It's more of an item-management trick than a computer skill, but I think you'll like it, especially if you have the need to follow-up on requests you've made to clients, friends, colleagues, vendors, etc.


Objective:  Set up 9 new folders in Outlook
Followup 000 Whenever
Followup 001 Monday
Followup 002 Tuesday
Followup 003 Wednesday
Followup 004 Thursday
Followup 005 Friday
Followup 08 August 2001 (or current month)
Followup 09 September 2001 (or next month)
Followup 10 October 2001 (or subsequent month)

Step 1
Launch Outlook


Step 2
Click on Personal Folders
Or whatever your top level folder is for Outlook




Step 3
Click on and hold the little downward pointing arrow
This is located at the top right of Outlook



Step 4
Scroll down and click on Folder
Note:  The folder option may not appear after you click on the little arrow from the preceding step.  If not, click on the double arrow which will give you more options and you'll see the Folder option at that point.






Step 5
Type in your new folder name and click OK.
Call it Followup 000 Whenever
(Why the three zeros?  Because this forces your 9 new folders to be in the proper order.  If you don't use the numerals, they will sort in alpha order.)



Step 6
Repeat process for 8 other New Folder Names


How to use your new folders...
Now, whenever you email someone and you want to make sure that YOU follow up with them, just type in your own email address in the cc: or bcc: area and this email will be delivered to your inbox as well as to the recipient.   When the email arrives in your InBox, just move it to the appropriate folder (day of the week for follow up, or this or next month or whenever if it's not time sensitive).

Then, every day (and month), go through your Follow Up folder and see what you need to check up on.  If you're dealing in multiple projects and scores of staff, clients or volunteers, you WILL forget stuff unless you use a tickler system like this one.  And since email is the center of my universe, I've found this solution to work quite well in Outlook.  Here's another sample



Step 7
Alternate option
You can get even fancier and save yourself the step of having to manually move the incoming copy of the email you just sent to the correct folder, by setting up different message rules for all 9 new folders by cc: or bcc:'ing them to followupmonday@yourname.com, followuptuesday@yourname.com, etc.  This assumes that you have set up these email addresses already, or do as I do and have your ISP send you ALL email address to xxxxxx@yourname.com (xxx meaning whatever/whomever it's addressed to).  That way you don't have to set up new accounts.

The message rule (discussed in a different lesson) tells Outlook where to move or forward email that comes in from or to certain people and/or with certain things in the subject line.
 
Was something not clear?  Was there a typo or other error?
While we aren't able to provide 1-1 tech support,  please email confusion-questions-corrections-improvements to reply@coachbrian.com.   Again, we won't reply to your email but it will be read and this course will be improved as a direct result of your assistance.

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