Project Inbox Zero

I've gotten to know and love Merlin Mann first through the MacBreak Weekly podcast, and from there I got to know his 43 Folders web site. He's a bit of a productivity guru, though I use that word reluctantly. He has none of those annoying "salesman"ish qualities that turn me off to most of the Tony Robbins/Dr. Phil types. He's very laid back, almost suggesting to you that you can try this if you want, it worked for him, but no biggie. I hear that message better than the "I am going to change your world!" quasi-brainwash bullshit that so many self-help types like to effect.

One of Merlin's latest things is called Inbox Zero. And God knows this is a place where I totally need help. The In box is totally out of control.

So, starting today, through his suggested actions, I have done the following:

1. I moved all my In box email prior to today to a box called "DMZ." (More on that in a moment.)
2. I am checking my mail only once an hour (at most), and
3. I am taking care of everything in my In box each time I do check my mail.

This last step is where the real change is: Merlin suggests that when you look at your In box, there are five possible actions for each email:

1. Delete it. He recommends doing this as much as possible.
2. Archive it.
3. Delegate it. Again, highly recommended, if possible.
4. A Quick Response. (See FiveSentenc.es for an idea on this!)
5. Defer it. A tricky one, but the idea is to defer it only for the day -- to move it to an "Action" folder, which you deal with by the end of the day.

Well ... So far, so good. We'll see how it goes in the long run.

As to the DMZ folder, my goal is to get rid of 100 emails in there per day, on work days. That's 500 a week. I started this on Friday night, while sitting around the ER listening to my wife's Pulse-Ox meter beeping.

On 8/24/07: 4,372 emails in the DMZ.

Last night (8/26/07), when I went to bed: 4,272 messages.

*sigh*

We'll see how this project shakes out.

(You can watch progress on the DMZ mailbox in a module in the righthand column of this blog.)