Control your Inbox

From a trusted source comes this posting and link to an excellent Google Lecture on getting your email inbox to zero, and how it can boost your productivity.

The basic idea is to use your inbox as a starting point only - for each new email, DECIDE what to do with it and get it resolved, so you can get back to work.

There are only five things you can do with an email. These are the VERBS.

Delete (or Archive)
Delegate (Forward and Followup)
Respond (Reply)
Defer (Wait)
Do

I've been doing this for some months now, and it's working well. For each new email, I ask, what action do I need to take with this?

If there isn't an action for me to take, or if I've already taken the action, I delete the email.

If it's something I should delegate, I forward it, I often cc: the original person so they see it getting forwarded, and I move the original to a "@Pending" folder that I browse every so often (2-3 times a week) so I can check in with my delegee and my original requester.

If I can resolve it by responding, I do - as briefly as I can. Then I delete the original, or perhaps move it to "Archive".

If I can't handle it now and I do need to handle it, I move it to "@ActOn".

And if it involves an action other than an email reply - maybe walking a folder over to someone, or putting an appointment on my calendar, or making a brief call - I simply do it, and then delete the email.

When I left the office today my email inbox was empty. It felt VERY good.