Reaching Inbox Zero

Back in 2018 I published a short article here sharing a few tips on email management towards achieving the elusive Inbox Zero. While working on my digital garden (a new project) I thought it was time to revisit that piece and expand it into a step-by-step procedure to help those struggling with keeping their Inbox under control.

The problem with emails

Emails have revolutionised communication, bringing about both benefits and challenges. While they are a powerful tool for exchanging information, they have also contributed to information overload and made it challenging to organize and manage communication effectively.

The primary issue with email lies in our tendency to undervalue their management compared to tasks like collaborating with colleagues, initiating new projects, or tackling creative assignments, despite their essential role in fulfilling these activities. Perceived as a nuisance, we treat them as such, overlooking their potential.

Allocating dedicated time to address emails has the potential to significantly improve our work, transforming them from perceived inconveniences to valuable tools. Just as with any other tasks, it is essential to allocate specific time in your daily schedule for handling emails (See When to deal with emails?).

The hardest thing to do is … to archive

If you find yourself here, it is probably because you haven't quite achieved Inbox Zero. The initial step towards Inbox control involves taking a moment to pause, take a deep breath, and fearlessly follow these first three steps. These instructions are currently customized for Outlook. While your employer might mandate a specific client, often Outlook, there are alternatives worth exploring.

1. Create an Archive folder, select all emails in your inbox folder (click on any email, then Ctrl+A), mark them as read (Ctrl+Q) and move them into that archive folder. Do not worry, they are not lost, you will revisit them later.

2. Create a high level Folder Structure (See below) in your inbox. Be cautious not to overly complicate it; simplicity is key.

3. Adjust the time before emails are marked as unread to a maximum of 5 seconds (in Outlook: File → Options → Advanced → Reading Pane). This allows for quick skimming through emails (mine is set to 2 seconds).

And there you have it – you've completed the most challenging part.

Now, you might wonder about the fate of all those emails that have been unceremoniously consigned to history. Well, two things will happen:

1. If an email was genuinely important, you will receive a follow-up request. If not, it likely wasn't of utmost importance.

2. In the following days, dedicate some time to reviewing the most recent emails in the Archive folder, specifically those sent within the last two weeks, and move them into the new folders following the process described below.

If you are concerned with moving all your emails from the Inbox to the Archive folder, don’t move them yet, but do mark them all as read and follow the SoP below for new emails. Then dedicate time to move older emails by batch either in a relevant folder or in the Archive folder.

Follow a Standard Operating Procedure (SoP)

From now on, process every email - either has you receive them or at regular times in the day (See When to deal with emails). For each email:

1. Briefly scan the content, using the subject line to aid with the prioritisation.
2. If a response takes less than 2 minutes, reply immediately, and move to the relevant folder (or the other way round - which allows for skipping step 8).
3. Forward if an action is required, but you are not the appropriate person to respond.
4. Flag as important if it holds significance but requires more than a 2-minute response (see Flagging).
5. Move the email into the relevant folder as unread if it requires action, as read otherwise.
6. Schedule time for action (see Scheduling action).
7. Discard if irrelevant and unsubscribe from any newsletters and mailing lists you are registered with unintentionally or have no genuine interest in. If you don't read their emails or find them uninteresting, it's time to disengage.
8. If you responded or forwarded an email, open the Sent box and move your email to the relevant folder - To streamline this process, consider first moving the received email into its relevant folder and configuring Outlook to save responses in the same folder (Navigate to Outlook: File → Options → Mail → Save messages, and select the second checkbox).

When to deal with emails?

Many people will kick off their workdays by diving into emails, often finding themselves engrossed in replies even when a meeting is looming in the next 30 minutes. Some continuously monitor their inbox, aiming for prompt responses at the expense of other crucial activities, like being fully present in a meeting. Others opt to tackle emails at the end of a hectic day.

Keep in mind that emails are not designed for swift or immediate communication. Phones still exist, and many organisations use messaging apps, which are more apt for addressing urgent matters. It's even possible to meet and discuss things in person with a colleague.

Whatever you do, review emails that are still marked as unread in each folder to check if they need action, or why you have not taken action!

Unless you can consistently adhere to the SoP above, it is more effective to allocate specific times in your day for email review. This can be achieved through either stringent (Busy) or more flexible (Free/Tentative) time blocking (See below).

I usually handle emails first thing in the morning, allocating necessary time to write meaningful responses, then as they arrive during the day, unless I'm engaged in a meeting or interacting with others or really engrossed in a task. However, keep in mind that multitasking is a myth, and attempting to do so can lead to mistakes one has to assume. It's better to focus on one task at a time. At the end of the day, my Inbox folder is empty - all emails have been dealt with. They have been moved into an appropriate folder, answered or marked for action.

If you struggle with not looking at emails, go offline (Send/Receive menu → Work offline), don’t forget to go back online! Alternatively, close your email client!

Inbox folder structure

Above all, prioritise simplicity! A overly structured inbox is a recipe for struggling to locate what you need when the time comes.

Here is how my inbox is structured using numbered folders based on the Johnny.Decimal System to keep some sort of order, at least visually. This is specific to my consultancy business, but easily adaptable to a research environment.

• 01. Administration: All emails related to the administrative management of my business (Business registration, taxes, banking, reporting). These emails are not related to any clients.
• 02. HR: Everything related to my personal HR.
• 03. Suppliers: All emails related to expenditures incurred during the running of my business.
• 04. Clients Folder: This folder will contain a subfolder for each client. Even if I have more than one contract with a client, all emails related to that client will go into the same folder.
• 04.01 Client 1 or Project 1
• 04.02 Client 2 or Project 2
• 04.03 Client 3 or Project 3
• 04.04 ...
• 05. C&E (Conferences and Events): All event registrations (conference, webinars)
• 06. Travel: All emails related to travel, such as bookings and itineraries. Emails from clients related to the organisation of my travel go into the corresponding client folder.
• 07. Registration: All emails related to website registration, software registration, mailing list etc.
• 08. Mailing lists: all mailing list emails

You might find it necessary to create additional folders, such as for personal development or everything related to organizational matters. However, ensure that their content does not overlap or make it difficult to decide where an email should go. If such confusion arises, have a rethink.

I am a scientist, should I create a separate folder for grant applications and for funded projects?

→ No. All emails in one place.

Flagging

There are various ways to flag an email, depending on your purpose:

• If your goal is to mark an email containing information needed in the near future, click on the flag next to the email before moving it into its relevant folder. Later, you can easily locate it by reordering emails based on flag status. I use this method to find emails granting access to client SharePoint, where access is periodically revoked for safety reasons. Don’t forget to regularly unflag emails when they are no linger important.
• Right-click on the email and select "Follow up". While I don't often use this method, I do use the "Add Reminder" option when I don't immediately schedule an action after reviewing the email.
• Lastly, you can categorize and color-code emails. Right-click on the email, select "Categorize," and then choose a predefined category. Categories can be redefined using "All Categories” in the same menu. If you do so, limit the number of categories to 3 or 4."

Scheduling action

There are various approaches to organising workloads, with two of the most common being task lists and time blocking , or a combination of both. Personally, I use both but I have found that time blocking offers greater flexibility and efficiency in task management. If I am unable to complete a task as originally planned, I simply reschedule it in my calendar, eliminating the need to create a new task list. It is also a more visual way to plan your day/week.

For time blocking, select the email and use "Reply With Meeting" in Outlook Quick Steps menu and allocate time in your calendar to work on the task. You may consider adjusting the "Options" in the ribbon to "Free" or "Tentative" to avoid preventing others from scheduling meetings with you. In case this occurs, reschedule your task or decline the meeting invitation if it's less crucial.

What if, when the scheduled time for completing the task arrives, you find something more important to do?

→ Just shift the allocated time to another suitable slot.

What I don’t do

Others often suggest using filters to streamline the triage process. However, I do not recommend this approach. When triage is automated by the email client, you lose visibility into the content of incoming emails. You would then need to look into each folder and manually check emails, which may be overlooked, and bypasses the crucial prioritisation process mentioned earlier.

Final words

This method of Inbox management requires discipline. Each email needs to be examined, prioritised, and acted upon. Simply moving emails from the Inbox folder to another folder won't resolve your Inbox management problem; it merely shifts it to a folder problem, akin to sweeping dust under the carpet. However, once prioritisation becomes a habit, it becomes an intuitive process that requires little conscious effort.

Further Readings

Many have written about how to get to zero, starting with Merlin Mann back in 2007 who has a series of article on the topics.

As ususal, questions, suggestions, fire up!

~rjt