What’s Inbox Zero

Productivity,

What does inbox zero means?

I’m striving for one for long, and eventually on one weekend I could get inbox Zero! So happy. Years of training on various GTD (Get Things Done) strategies paid off. My hours spent on watching YouTube videos on making the inbox zero paid off now. Let me walk you through my journey, but before that read the quote below

Success isn’t about getting more done, it’s about having more fun. If you’re having fun, productivity takes care of itself. – Ali Abdaal (YouTuber)

My Inbox. 📥

Pinch 🤏 is it true?

For a day over weekend, it worked as long as I kept the patience of sticking to the routine and get the mail sorted. Inbox zero gives a kind of relief of having mind space of actually doing something that matters. Email becomes a medium of communication. Some time I keep on checking / refreshing the mail box to really find out if its really empty or offline 😅

Why Email 📧 Exist?

Let’s use the “5 Whys” to figure out why my inbox is overflowing with emails:

1. Why is my mailbox full?

Because I don’t have time to read and reply to all the emails.

2. Why don’t I have time to read and reply, even though I check my inbox multiple times a day?

Because reading each email, recalling past context, and crafting a reply is mentally taxing. Plus, many emails aren’t even relevant to me.

3. Why is it taxing to process emails?

Because understanding the context for each email takes time, and irrelevant messages still consume my attention even if they don’t require action.

4. Why do I get irrelevant or non-actionable emails?

Because people CC me unnecessarily, I don’t always tell them to remove me, or I’ve subscribed to mailing lists I no longer need but haven’t unsubscribed from. Some emails, like financial updates, are useful only in specific scenarios but clutter my inbox otherwise.

5. Why haven’t I fixed this yet?

Ah, that’s the big question! Maybe it’s time to dive deeper, sort out the mess, and take charge of my inbox.

Let’s deep dive, Why I get mail it first place.

The things which get stuck, because of me, needs my attention, but then can’t they call me? Why should I reply (apart from acknowledging it), and jump in action?

Someone want to remind himself that he/she is stuck because of me, and the mail gives them a context to gather their thought together, remember the mail with 2+ attachments, long paragraphs and bullet points, which ends with warm regards…

It’s compliance issue, they think keeping record is better, so that they can recall and say “I said so”… keep the repository of how to avoid accountability in later time 😬

I have subscribed to a productivity emailer, in hope of learning something new… HBR news letter… Unfortunately no time to read them either 🥵

Come again why Email 📧 exist?

If something requires my attention, I need to acknowledge and work on it. There are too many things demanding my attention, so I need to plan and prioritize. For others, how can I clean up my inbox?

First, let’s define what “inbox zero” means. Inbox zero doesn’t necessarily mean having a zero email inbox (that’s how I do it anyway). Instead, it means having no emails in your inbox that have no action to take. Acknowledging an email qualifies it to be in inbox zero.

Let’s assume you’re like me. I prepare myself with three folders: folder 1 – Inbox, where emails come and stay until I take action; folder 2 – Read Later, where I’m in CC and need to read them at some later point to be “aware of the situation”; and folder 3 – Archive, where everything, including emails I’ve replied to, read, or marked as “for information” or “may be needed in the future to get data.”

10 Minute Rule

  1. Take 5 min, just read the subject line of each mail in the inbox, and decide
    • Need my attention, keep in inbox
    • It’s fyi, CC, may be important, move to “Read later”
    • its mailing list, I want to read it, but not now, move to “Read later”, or Archive
  2. Take 5 min, to go thru now remaining emails in Inbox
    • marked to me, asking me for action, I can do this now, reply
    • marked to me, but some one from my team can do this, reply, as the @someone to act upon
    • marked to me, but I don’t think its relevant, let me reply to only the sender, and ask for clarification.
    • marked to me, not relevant, let me quickly ask sender to unsubscribe me.
    • marked to me, and its stuck because of me, 1st Priority, let me reply and acknowledge, and put on my To-Do list as priority items

Is it working? 💪

It’s working, it’s a roller coaster ride. Any productivity tool will work only if the discipline is maintained. The crux of success of such initiatives is its simplicity. Simplicity brings less complex routine, easier to follow and maintain the streak.

End of 2024, is leaving me some good practices, which will be passed on to 2025 for sure, and will not bogged down by any new ‘New Year’s Resolution“ trick 😅

I hope you will get some insights with this post, a week away from ending 2024, let me wish you all a very productive year ahead!

Task Vs. Project

Productivity, ,
Task without Projects?

What qualifies as Task? And what as Project?

“I see many people juggling with their pocket diary, todo list and many other reports, breaking down each activity as task, and ending day with a longer list than seeing few getting crossed off.”

Its depressing and deflating to see the to-do list growing, and no respite to already busy schedule.

the whole reason to maintain a todo list is making us more productive! right?

yes, in essence, its right, but its all depends on how we are making this list. and one of the key differentiation is identifying which items qualifies for being in task list and items which can be part of a project

So what is TASK : a task is something, which you can get it done in one seating, in one go, no follow-up to complete the task

and PROJECT : any thing, which has concrete outcome and a specified timelines. a Project will have many task (> 1 task)

Make a tea for spouse can be a Task if you go in kitchen and make tea in one go, but if you want to make that special Aasam tea, which needs some shopping list and some over night preparation, it qualifies for a Project with multiple tasks, e.g go out and get the special tea, get some special herbs, prepare overnight the water for that wonderful aroma etc…

I know, once we say Project, the fear of getting is complex crips in. But don’t worry, Project is only helping us to have them special focus, that it. It helps us declutter the great big to-do list. It make us see logical structure behind the reason of getting things done.

Once you are done with this, focus on how to make your todo more impactful.

While making a todo list there are many ways to make it light and compact, few of them are making [[Important and Imperative]] list, following [[Urgent and Important]] list

some good reads

Do This Now! List of Imperative Verbs – INK (inkforall.com)
The Eisenhower Matrix: Introduction & 3-Minute Video Tutorial

GTD – Someday List, a thought

Productivity, ,

I’m fan of GTD, in its spirit. GTD stands for getting things done.

GTD way of working ask to put some task in “Someday/ May be” list. The Someday/Maybe list is a big creative resource that can provide big adventures to your life and work. This list gives you permission to write down anything you can think of, without any kind of restrictions. Later you will have enough time to analyze what you have captured and eliminate it if it doesn’t make too much sense.

I had Someday list for quite a while. With day to day focus on actual ToDo with deadlines, this list is the one which I never opened. 👎

And reading some books on GTD, it’s seems something without any deadline goes to the back hole.

“Someday” is a curse to your dreams, because you’ll take your dreams to the grave.

Life is about moving and getting things done. We live in a giant rock with water and dirt, and we walk around like bags of meat and bone. What is really life about?
Leaving a legacy behind. Being remembered. But to achieve this we must work, work , work.
For that reason, don’t postpone something just because the timing isn’t right, if it is important to you and you want to do it eventually just go it and correct the course along the way of any obstacles if you find.

Take away: Deadlines are important to make sure your dreams are not dead 😊 !

Even if it’s not immediate, try to put some deadline.