Inbox Zero: 5 steps to an empty mailbox
Step 1: turn off notifications
Turn off new mail alerts on all your devices. Also turn off automatic fetching where you can. Otherwise the unread count keeps pulling you back to your inbox.
Does your boss or customer expect a quick answer? Test it. Read and answer your mail 2 times a day and explain why: you get more work done that way. If something is really on fire, they will call you.
Step 2: process in blocks
Check your mail 2 times a day. Once around 12:00, certainly not before 11:00, and a second time around 16:00 to plan the next day. The morning is the best time for hard work.
Not working right away? Start with 1 morning a week without mail and build up.
Processing mail in blocks is faster than handling it one by one. Use shortcuts:
Gmail: J and K for previous and next mail, R to reply, F to forward, Ctrl+Enter to send. Turn on shortcuts in the settings first.
Outlook: up and down arrows for previous and next mail, R to reply, S to forward, Alt+S to send.
Step 3: three questions per mail
Start with the oldest mail and ask yourself the same 3 questions for every mail:
Is there an action in it for me? No? Archive it right away. The mail is out of sight, but you can still search for it.
Does the action take less than 2 minutes? Then do it now. Coming back later costs more time.
Does it take longer? Put it as a task in your task list, not in your inbox. Todoist, Microsoft To Do or Google Tasks will do. Do you not have one? Mark the mails with a star or flag.
Step 4: stop filing, start searching
Folders and labels come from a time when searching was slow. Today you find any mail in seconds. Learn the advanced search options of your mail program, for example by sender, period or attachment. Searching for `from: livalos.com` shows every mail from that organisation.
Step 5: make your own mails better
Use a short and clear subject. Mails without a subject are hard to find again and lead to requests to send them again.
And now with agents
We let our agents do the first sort. They read new mail, group it and prepare replies as drafts. I read, adjust and send them myself. Steps 3 and 4 stay the same, only the first read moves.
Want that for your team too? In the trainings on AI and office software we practise with your own mail.