How to operate on inbox zero in Gmail
Does your inbox look like this?
In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of emails and messages that we receive on a daily basis. It can be challenging to manage our inbox and keep it organized, which is why many people turn to a Zero Inbox approach.
What is Zero Inbox?
Zero Inbox is a method of email management that involves keeping your inbox completely empty. The goal is to ensure that every email that enters your inbox is dealt with in some way, whether it's replied to, deleted, or archived. The idea is to maintain a clutter-free inbox that allows you to focus on important tasks without getting distracted by unread messages.
Why should you use Zero Inbox?
There are several benefits to using a Zero Inbox approach:
1. Increased productivity: By keeping your inbox empty, you can avoid getting bogged down by a backlog of messages. This can help you to stay focused on important tasks and be more productive throughout the day.
2. Reduced stress: A cluttered inbox can be overwhelming and create unnecessary stress. By using a Zero Inbox approach, you can reduce the number of emails you have to deal with and create a more manageable workload.
3. Improved organization: A Zero Inbox approach can help you to stay organized by ensuring that every email is dealt with in some way. This can make it easier to find important messages when you need them.
How to use Zero Inbox?
Here are the 5 simple steps to implement your Zero Inbox strategy in less than 5 minutes:
1. Set up your settings:
Open your Gmail account and click settings > See all settings > Advanced > Enable Auto-advance > Save changes.
We want to turn this feature on to show the next conversation instead of your inbox after you delete, archive or mute a conversation.
Click on the settings button again > See all settings > General > Scroll down to the auto-advance section and click the ‘go to the next (newer) conversation > Scroll down to the Keyboard shortcuts section and make sure that keyboard shortcuts are on > Save changes.
Click on the settings button a final time > See all settings > Inbox > Change inbox type to ‘multiple inboxes’.
In the search query table, enter the following line items:
Copy & paste for quick access:
l:action-items
l:waiting
l:read-through
l:tax-receipts
2. Use labels:
In the left hand side menu, click on the + icon next to labels and create a label called ‘Action items’.
Repeat this process three more times and call the other three labels ‘Waiting’, ‘Read through’ & ‘Tax receipts’.
Labels explained:
Action items: These are emails that require more than 2 minutes to reply to and require a response from you.
Waiting: These are emails that you have sent and you are now waiting to receive information from the other person.
Read through: These are marketing emails that you receive that you like to read through when you have time.
Tax receipts: These are emails you receive regarding a receipt that you will need to file away for finance purposes.
3. Reply, file or archive:
When you receive an email, try to deal with it right away. If it requires a response, reply to it as soon as possible or add on of the following labels:
Action items
Read through
Tax receipts
If it's not important or relevant, delete it or archive it!
Let’s automate your ‘waiting’ label!
Your sent inbox is usually something that isn’t checked very often, so I am going to show you a trick to automating the process so that you don’t forget to follow up on an email you sent.
Anytime you send an email
4. Schedule time for email:
Set aside specific times of the day to check and respond to emails. This can help you to avoid getting distracted by your inbox throughout the day.
5. Unsubscribe:
If you're receiving too many emails from a particular sender, unsubscribe from their list. This can help to reduce the number of emails you receive and keep your inbox under control.
In conclusion, a Zero Inbox approach can be an effective way to manage your emails and reduce stress in your daily life. By taking a proactive approach to email management and implementing some simple strategies, you can create a more organized and efficient workflow. Give it a try and see how it can improve your productivity and overall well-being.
