Shift + Delete
By Tana M. Mann Easton, Lead Efficiency Engineer
In our training sessions with clients, we teach them how to clear out their email inboxes. My compulsive brain goes even further than what I teach, however. I personally keep my Sent Items and Deleted Items empty as well. This habit of mine might be slightly overkill, but it’s a system that works for me even if it’s not so necessary that I teach other people to do it.
If you’re using Microsoft Outlook and simply delete an email from your Inbox, you know that the email then moves to your Deleted Items. And if you’re someone like I am who clears out your Deleted Items as well, then you’d have to delete that one email two times to make it disappear. This is inefficient. Until I introduce you to the magic of SHIFT + DELETE.
If you hit the SHIFT key on your keyboard at the same time as you hit the DELETE key on your keyboard, you’ll permanently delete the item from your Inbox without it making a stop in your Deleted Items. You’ll have to confirm you want to permanently delete the item by hitting the Enter key. So if you’re trying to keep your Inbox and your Deleted Items clear like I do, save a few steps by using SHIFT + DELETE for those items you want to get rid of.
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Sincerely Yours,
Focus to Evolve Team