How to Keep Your Inbox Empty

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How to Keep Your Inbox Empty
The Zen of Zero Mail
J.D. Meier PM, Microsoft Blog
http//blogs.msdn.com/jmeier Wiki
http//www.GuidanceShare.com
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"Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless,
add what is specifically your own. Bruce Lee
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Empty Inbox Zen in Action
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A Short Story Drive or Be Driven

• When I first joined Microsoft, I noticed a lot of
  people swamped in mail. With distributed teams,
  tough schedules and lots of information to share,
  email is the tool of choice. For better or
  worse, its been the universal tool for personal
  knowledge bases, instant messaging, and
  dashboards of action and results.
• One of my early managers had a simple rule
  dont fail at the basics. If you do a great
  job at everything else, but fail at
  administration, youll hold yourself back. He
  was right. I saw some of the best potential fail
  at the basics. I refused to let email become my
  Achilles heel.
• While most people were swamped, I noticed a few
  colleagues not only survived, but thrived. I got
  curious. I learned from them. I studied their
  principles, patterns, and practices that made
  these masters of action effective.
• I decided I wanted two things 1) I wanted the
  most effective techniques. 2) I wanted to spend
  the least time possible.
• I put many, many systems to the test.
  Ultimately, I favored simplicity and flexibility
  over complicated and restrictive. I learned a
  lot of lessons along the way. Ultimately, the
  most important lesson I learned was
• You drive your mail or your mail drives you!
• - J.D. Meier

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The Approach
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One Folder for All Read Mail
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One Rule to Filter Out Everything Not to You
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To Dos Tickler Lists for Action
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Schedule Items You Need Time For
You can dragdrop mail items to your calendar
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Reference Views Folders with Copies of Key Mails
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More Information
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Key Concepts

• Think of your mail as a stream of potential
  action or reference
• Factor reference from action
• Use one folder for all read mail
• Route out all mail not directly to you or your
  immediate world (team, org etc.)
• Triage incoming mail to either do it, queue it,
  schedule it, or delegate it.
• Use daily tickler lists for action items
• Schedule items that will take time
• Create views using folders and copy (dont fork)
  key mails

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The Why Behind the Approach

• If you keep your inbox empty, you avoid paper
  shuffling (reviewing the same mail more than
  once, scrolling up and down for actions .. Etc.)
• If you keep all your read mail in one folder, you
  can quickly search, sort, group, etc.
• If you keep a daily tickler list for action, you
  have a place for action items from your mails.
• If you use your daily tickler list for action,
  you can quickly set your sequence and priorities
  vs. react to your mail stream.
• If you create views by coping key mails into
  folders, then you keep the integrity of your one
  folder for all read mail.
• If you dont have to worry about deleting your
  mail or forking to folders, you avoid death by a
  1000 paper cuts. (You can always delete later if
  you must, but batch and defer it. Otherwise,
  that little moment of hesitation robs you over
  time.)

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Appendix
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Variation Online Read Folder for All Read Mail