Why Inbox Zero Won’t Fix Your Email Problems
Too many people use Inbox Zero like a diet for your inbox. They focus on getting the result – zero emails – thinking this will solve all their email problems. But an inbox diet isn’t the answer to email management. Better habits are.
Empty Your Brain to Sleep Better
Have you ever woken up at 3 in the morning, frantically trying to remember if you sent that email you promised a client? Heart pounding and mind racing? Yeah, nobody likes that feeling. But imagine the peaceful dreams you could have if you knew everything was documented, prioritized, and waiting for you to tackle in the morning.
Don’t forget the milk.
Let’s say you’re at the grocery store picking up fruit for tomorrow’s breakfast when you suddenly remember you’ve got to make a dentist appointment for your youngest. What do you do next?
Is there mystery meat in your inbox?
We’ve all seen those emails that hit our inbox and say ‘Zoom’ or ‘Deadline’ or even ‘Don’t forget’. At a glance how are we supposed to know what’s actually inside those emails until we take a moment and open them up to look? And every time we go to our email we have to open that message up again because there are no clues as to what is inside.
Delayed decisions lead to clutter.
We get a new action email, read it – and decide it would only take a few minutes to complete – then leave it in our inbox while we wander off to do something else. Our delayed decisions lead to clutter – both in your inbox and in your living room.
The Art of Email Management: Next Steps
Trash emails are just what you’d expect – spam, coupons and ads, and those networking newsletters. You know the ones.
The Art of Email Management: Reference
Reference emails are full of interesting information, but nothing that requires you to take action. These are your newsletters, pictures of your sister’s dog, and the bylaws of your professional organization.
The Art of Email Management: Action Items
If you’ve been hanging out with me for any amount of time you’ve probably heard me talk about the A.R.T of Email management. It’s my key to putting out inbox fires. Kind of like stop, drop, and roll is for regular fires! Let’s start with Action Items…
Are you getting things done?
Getting Things Done is a popular productivity system by David Allen that emphasizes getting organized and staying productive through time management.