November 4: Inbox zero system

A structured method for managing your inbox without feeling (too) overwhelmed.

Source: Trello
Published: January 2021

Inbox zero system

Are you drowning in emails? The Inbox Zero system, coined by productivity expert Merlin Mann, is a structured method for managing your inbox without feeling (too) overwhelmed. 

The goal of the system is to process your emails efficiently, rather than trying to reach an empty inbox. There are 4 actions you need to decide on:

Delete: If you’ll never have to refer to the email again, delete it. Or, archive it.

Delegate: If someone else is better suited for the email request, forward it.

Defer: If a message will take more time or effort to reply to, place it in a separate folder to deal with after going through the rest of your new emails.

Do: If a message necessitates a quick response or takes less than two minutes to reply to, do it now.