What is Inbox Zero, Really?
I’ll get one thing out of the way right away. If you follow my process, your inbox will be zero until the following message arrives. Stated another way, Inbox zero is a point achieved several times throughout the day.So, how is this possible? My process to manage your inbox is called Capture – Analyze – Resolve. I have an additional blog post about my email process at this link.
How Often to Check Email?
The first step is to settle on how frequently you need to have an email open. A great start is to check your email five times per day. Once in the morning, mid-day, noon, mid-afternoon, and at the end of the day. I have clients who check email once per day and others who continually need to have it open.
Capture
To capture, when you check your email, every email should either be dumped (trashed), done (action taken), or delegated (saved for later). How you save an email for later is up to you.
Analyze
When you analyze, at some time during the day, review the emails delegated for messages that need action.
Resolve
Finally, by creating tasks or appointments, you resolve an email.
That’s it. If you follow this process, you’ll have an inbox at zero, at least for a few moments.
I offer a complimentary digital organizing project review. I’d love to discuss your inbox challenges with you. You can schedule time on my calendar at this link, or feel free to drop me an email.