the joy of zero
Today is a good day - that is, I have found the joy of zero.
That is right, the joy of the zero inbox.
Now that is not to say that I have never been there before (well, I do not mean to brag, but it is a regular thing for me). It has taken me years to perfect this method (see my post on how I get things done). So the method that I have produced is very simple and very compelling. In fact, I can guarantee that my method will work for anybody.
This method is built on three principles that are important to understand
I am inherently lazy (like most humans)
I like categorization (like most humans)
I don't like dealing with my email (like most humans)
With that in mind, I have developed this methodology by trying things that don't work. Now I found something that does.
set up folders in your email like a list
Seriously, use numbers. This forces your folder order to be the same no matter the device you access it. What order and what folders you use are irrelevant. What is important is to have predictability no matter how you access your emails.
Recommendation: make a folder called "take action" for things you need to do, one called "review" for things you need to read, and one called "archive" to store things in - this comes in handy later.
schedule two thirty-minute times in your day to process your email
You can read and check your email all you want during the day and even respond. What I mean by processing is going through every email and deciding what to do with it. You know, GTD style. Lately, I have been using Reclaim.ai to help schedule and protect those times on my schedule.
Recommendation: do not do this first thing in the morning - do something fun then. I do mine mid-morning and evening after the kids go to sleep.
process your emails. go through every email, read it, and decide what you need to do with it
If you need to respond and can do so intellectually in less than sixty seconds, do it (just don’t get stuck in your email). If no action is immediately necessary and you want to dive deeper into it, put it in your "review" folder. If you need to respond or take an action but it will take longer than a minute, put it in your "take action" folder. Otherwise, archive it (and by that, I mean move it to your "archive" folder).
Recommendation: use Outlook categories to set the context of each email as I read them for easier searching in my archive down the road.
Bonus recommendation: Sort your inbox from oldest to newest (putting the oldest email at the top); this helps focus on getting through all your emails, not just the new ones.
be disciplined; this method works only if you are willing to work it
The details of your organization and file system are not as important as the process itself. But it is futile and useless if you do not commit to it. Also, if you use "take action" and "review," you also need to schedule the time to go through those emails.
Recommendation: if you use task management software, forward or sync all of your "take action" and "review" emails to that system so you do not neglect those folders.
start right now - move every email in your inbox to your archive
Seriously. Do it now. Stop reading and do it. I know this sounds extreme and drastic, but if you don't, this process sucks getting started.
Recommendation: move every email in your inbox to your archive this very second.
The beauty of this system is that it forces you to make quick decisions on what you will spend your time on. Are you going to spend your time actually working or reading emails? Me, I like my job, so I would rather work. Email is important and useful, but not if it is all you do.
And here is the thing - all of those unread emails in your inbox? Who cares.
If it was super important, you would have read it by now. If it is kind of important, it will come up again in another email or channel. Do not hold onto the false idea that by doing this, you will hurt someone’s feelings by not responding to their email. Chances are you are not doing that right now, and leaving your email in your inbox does nothing but remind you that you are not doing that anyway. Do yourself a favor and eliminate your stress. Once you embrace this system and use it, you will find you can respond to every email you need to in a reasonable time and still have time in your day to do your job.
1: the guarantee is null and void in the contiguous united states, outlying colonies, the northern hemisphere, the third rock from the sun, the milky way galaxy, and the universe at large.
2: for those tech gurus out there - yes, I am aware that Gmail does nifty archiving; yes, so does Mac Mail and others; do your archive thing.
