Inbox Zero Day

In honor of Inbox Zero Day, let's delve into the world of a "zero inbox" workstyle, as shared by our Co-CEO and Co-Founder, David Darmstandler . Here he shares his insights and experiences in striving for a clutter-free digital workspace.

Worldwide, over 300 billion emails are sent each day. Although you may feel like you receive all of them, the average work email receives 121 per a day and sends 40 emails per a day.??

In addition, email boxes are checked by users an average of 36 times per hour and averaging over 2.5 hours in their email each day. So, every 1.66 minutes you’re checking your email or getting a notification that a new email has arrived and you make sure you’re still important by clicking on it.?

Ahh...this brings us to the age-old inbox management controversy: to keep it tidy (zero inbox) or to just let it flow naturally and accumulate like the national debt.?

This discussion splits coworkers, friends, and even families (probably just me and my wife but you get the point).??

I am a "zero inbox" guy, and I couldn't be more excited about today, Inbox Zero Day. If you met me, you would not assume I appreciate a tidy email inbox, but it didn't happen overnight.??

My wife still has her 10,000+ unopen emails but what’s in my email inbox is only what requires a response. I used to work using an overflowing email inbox. Over the years, I tried to organize my inbox using rules that shifted emails to different folders, I tried color coding, using third party tools, and numerous other methods.??

Ultimately, I found a method that worked for me: a zero inbox. I have found this structure of managing email to help me respond timely to critical emails, to spend less time in my email and most important, lower my anxiety around email.?

So, let’s break down how I manage my email:??

• I use my email as if it were a physical mailbox. I don’t use it as storage, moving attachments or files to appropriate storage. [You wouldn’t leave packages in your mailbox at home, right?]?

• I use Outlook for email and have a series of folders under my inbox to drop new email into as follows:?

• Urgent?
• Requires Response?
• Informational?
• Personal?

• Unsure (this is if you’re using an assistant to help you manage email)?
• Unsubscribe?

In the morning, I check my email from my computer, and I don’t attempt to organize email from my phone. I find organizing and responding to emails (unless urgent) is most effective from a keyboard.?

I drop items that require a response into the appropriate folders and anything else either gets deleted or moved into the informational folder or otherwise. I complete this process three times a day (not on weekends) and otherwise close email to focus on deeper work.?

I have conformed to a “zero-inbox” which has allowed me clarity around my workload within email and not allow email to control my day.? Give it a try and see if it can do the same for you.?

Feel free to reach out to David Darmstandler if you have any questions about embracing your own zero inbox workstyle.

Sources:??

https://missiveapp.com/blog/inbox-zero#:~:text=Increased%20productivity,can%20lead%20to%20increased%20productivity.?

https://www.templafy.com/blog/how-many-emails-are-sent-every-day-top-email-statistics-your-business-needs-to-know/#:~:text=How%20many%20emails%20does%20the,amount%20of%20emails%20organization%2Dwide.?

https://www.inc.com/nicholas-sonnenberg/why-inbox-zero-is-worth-it-easier-than-you-think.html?