Inbox zero for the lazy (like me)

I used to avoid managing emails.?

If the height of human connection is a glass of wine, overlooking sunset in the tuscan hills, then the opposite was managing & organizing emails.

A few years ago I decided the inbox wasn't going away, so there had to be a way to both get to inbox zero without being super motivated to do it - which I wasn't and still am not.

This is how I get to inbox zero - and if you're lazy like me, it may be worth a try.

Getting to inbox zero is not about organizing our inbox - it's about prioritizing our time.?

Even in my laziest state, I can rattle off the big things I know I want to do. The first step is simply to capture those items:

1. What are 2-5 objectives with no tangible end-goal (be the best sales agent, be a great father, etc)
2. What are 2-5 objectives with a tangible end-goal (close 5 new accounts, lose 20 lbs, etc)
3. Pick a to-do list (Notebook, Sticky Notes, A Todo App)*

This is not about perfection - these can and should be edited, deleted, added, as they need to be. So just write down what you can think of - and move on.

Now here's the lazy secret to get to inbox zero: Only process each email once.?

A simple rule - when combined with our priorities above - that may not change our life, but will forever change our time.

Pulling back the curtain, these are the 5 steps to inbox zero in action:

1. Set & block concrete times to answer email. During those times:
2. If the email can be answered in roughly a tweet (200 characters or less), answer it
3. If not, capture the action in a to-do, categorize against a priority and archive the email.
4. Repeat until your inbox is zero

Now, this is not inbox zero - it's email zero - but you've transferred your emails to an action list mapped against the priorities you've said are important to you.

5. The final step is...group answer the emails by priority during your set times.

Even our least-motivated self knows which priorities are transactional or urgent and require a response right away vs. which emails are strategic or FYIs that can be answered at the end of the day or end of the week.?

I try not overthink it and only respond to what needs to be done at that moment - and then move on with the day until the next email response calendar block.?

When we get everything out of our inbox and organized by our priorities, not only is our head (and email) more clear, we are also able to see the big picture and trends while answering back.?A complicated productivity system is just as useless as a cluttered inbox.

The lazy inbox zero is about keeping things simple so we can be consistent.

Don't get motivated - get clarity.?

I hope this helps the real you push past the perfect you - and get some meaningful time back like it did for me.

* I have been using Things for a few years however I'm currently exploring a new tool I really like called Twos .?