Email management

Inbox Zero

Remember that an email is just a tool for communication, not a job on its own. Even if answering emails is a part of your job, it’s certainly not all you do, don’t spend much time on it.

By using a set of mail filters to pre-sort incoming mail and batch process them. The ones that are left then get the GTD treatment of quick response, file away to action, or just archive.

Five actions for each message

• Delete. After you read the message, determine whether it requires any action or if it contains information you’ll need to reference. If not, delete it or archive i
• Delegate. You might find that the issues raised in the email would be better handled by someone else, in which case, you should forward the email to that individual and then delete or archive it.
• Respond. If you can answer the email in just a few lines, without spending more than a couple of minutes, respond immediately and then delete or archive the message. Immediately respond to any new messages that can be answered in two minutes or less.
• Defer. If a response requires more than a few minutes or will take a little work, defer your response until a more appropriate time. You might want to create a special folder to hold deferred emails until you can get to them. Be intentional about sorting your messages into new folders. One option is to manage them by the deadline so that you know exactly when you need to respond to them. You can also get into the habit of organizing emails by project, sender, or the reason you put the email off, such as “scheduling,” “reference,” or “files for an upcoming project.” Then, if you need to compile a response, put the task affiliated with the email on your to-do list and come back to it later.
• Do. If the email requires a task that can be completed right away, do it now and be done with it. Then archive or delete the message.

Five suggested actions

• Don’t leave the email client open. Only open your mail a few times per day, then make sure to close it again so you can focus on more important tasks.
• Set up mail filters. There are tons of rules you can setup in a matter of minutes that will save you hours over the course of months. Mark newsletters to a “read” folder,
• Keep it simple. There’s no need to create a super complex folder structure. You’ll spend more time filing and archiving everything than the time you’ll spend searching. Just keep a simple system with perhaps a few main folders.
• Don’t touch twice. Once opened, process the mail. Delete, delegate, respond, defer or do. Letting it sit there without taking any action ensures double work. Letting it sit there without taking any action ensures double work. You’ll have to reread it at a later stage and will again be faced with taking a decision on it.
• Beware of Zero-obsession. It’s easy though to get obsessed with seeing the bottom of your mailbox by the end of every single day. This creates anxiety about not reaching zero, which defies the purpose of applying inbox zero in the first place. Don’t get obsessed; it’s ok if you get to zero once a week or so.

Organize Email Folders

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Favorites
	Inbox
	Reply it later
	Do it later
mail's account
	Inbox
		Reply it later
		Do it later
		Read it later
	Archive
		Starred
		Important
		Conferences
		Sample Project 1
		Sample Project 2
	Drafts
	Sent Items
	Deleted Items

Outlook vs Gmail

Reference

Inbox Zero

Inbox Zero