Email OVERLOAD!

I don't know about you but I can't stand it when my personal email shows that I have multiple, sometimes dozens, of new unread emails, ESPECIALLY when it's spam or junk mail!

Don't get me started on work email! If I take a day off work I end up coming back to HUNDREDS that need read and filed which is overwhelming...and if i take a week off to vacation with my family it's closer to a thousand!

I had to find a better way to quickly sort and file emails, it was wasting TOO MUCH TIME and definitely too much energy.

I decided to give the inbox to zero method a try and you know what? I LOVE it! I use it on my personal and work emails and can now clear out everything in my inboxes quickly without fearing that I've missed something!

The basic concept is you set up your folders to have the following:

@Action Needed

@Follow Up

@Reference

You then quickly go through your emails, without replying to anything at first, and file them into one of the 3 folders OR delete it if it's junk.

Once you've sorted everything and your inbox is empty you focus solely in the Action Needed folder and work from here until you've done all necessary responses, then move to the Follow Up folder asking for either follow up on a pending item or additional questions that need answered before you can take action on the request. And finally you have the Reference folder which is where you store any important information needed for future for quick access.

It's really that easy!

I was skeptical at first when I started using this method as new emails are always coming in but when you only work from your Action Needed or Follow Up folders you're not constantly being interrupted by new emails and stopping to read and reply.

I check my inbox a few times a day now and only to sort the new emails before moving to the folders I actually work from and it's such a time saver!

Give it a try and let me know what you think!?!

I'd love to hear your comments on the Inbox to Zero Method!