While working from home, do you feel that your life is nothing but an inbox? Hours are spent on working and managing emails. We might not imagine a day without email services. Inbox zero, developed by the productivity “guru” Merlin Mann, advocates the never-ending list of emails in your inbox. But do you know what everyone is wrong about achieving inbox zero? Here let’s have a look at the misconceptions people have about inbox zero.
Myths about Inbox Zero
In an interview, Mann claims that people have misunderstood the concept of inbox zero. This is correct. Most people are so fascinated by the inbox zero methods that they utilize tons of time, labor, and capital to ensure “zero emails.” Mann says that inbox zero is not a goal, but it is the route for increased productivity and efficient email management.
You might be able to hit the inbox zero goal. But for how long? The volume of emails is not entirely independent. That’s why setting up an unrealistic goal like inbox zero is pointless. Here’s the critical point- inbox zero is not precisely related to the number of emails in your inbox. Also, clearing out everything from your inbox and hitting the “delete button” is not inbox zero which is another thing what everyone is wrong about achieving inbox zero
Inbox zero is not a destination
As discussed above, it is not an end where you have to reach. In other words, it is a path that every employee must follow to stay organized at work. If you think that taking inboxes to zero is your daily or weekly goal, then it’s no surprise that you feel stressed out when managing bundles of emails. Consider inbox zero as a work habit; it’s not removing emails from your inbox. On the other hand, it is specifically about how an employee’s brain spends thinking about inbox/emails. The wrong concept leads to a fake inbox which prevents your growth. But how to identify the “fake inbox”? Read below.
What everyone is wrong about achieving inbox zero?
After reading the above, you might understand that the number of emails in the inbox doesn’t matter, it depends on the time you waste over your inbox. This is actually what everyone is wrong about achieving Inbox Zero. If you have got “no email” in your inbox, it doesn’t mean you have inbox zero. On the contrary, wasting the least amount of time in your inbox is what actually inbox zero is. The main pillars of achieving inbox zero are:
- Don’t delete everything
- You can sort the important things in your inbox and focus only on them.
- Reply only when the email is immediate.
- But if there’s nothing urgent then make sure you don’t check your inbox constantly every time your phone makes a sound.
You can learn to manage emails at a particular time every day. There’s no need to answer them all. Prioritize and work only on those emails which are important or urgent. Save emails for later so that you can easily go back to them when you have the time. Check out our favorite app for email management to reach the “real inbox zero”. With the help of email management softwares such as Mailman, reaching inbox zero becomes as easy as a breeze.
Reach the real inbox zero
Now that you’ve understood what everyone is wrong about achieving Inbox Zero, learn the right approach to inbox zero. Inbox zero is no achievement, and it depends on how people understand it. If you know that inbox zero reduces the time your brain thinks about the emails rather than removing emails. The “clean slate approach” has no use over inbox. It leaves you both empty inbox and empty mind. Therefore, don’t run after inbox zero. Instead, use good email management softwares to manage emails and reduce only the unwanted email crowd.
1. Schedule your email management habits well.
2. Fight the impulse to check your emails over and over.
3. Invest in a good email management tool like Mailman.
4. Use your tool and extensions cleverly.
5. Remain consistent in your email management efficiency.
You should clear your inbox off unwanted emails like subscriptions and newsletters by unsubscribing. But it is not advised to delete all your emails to achieve inbox zero. Instead use inbox zero strategies.
1. Navigate to gmail.com using any Web browser.
2. Enter your Google username and password in the the Username and Password fields and click “Sign In” to log in to your Google account. The default view is the Inbox folder. Click the “Inbox” link in the left pane if you don’t see your inbox, to go to your Inbox folder.
