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Inbox Zero
HOW TO BECOME
an Email Ninja
Your email management process will never be the
same again
PRESENTED BY: MICHAEL REYNOLDS
Michael Reynolds
About Michael:
• President / CEO of SpinWeb
• Cellist
• Sushi connoisseur
• Tennis player
• Marketing/tech nerd
• www.spinweb.net
Special Thanks
Concepts pioneered by
DAVID ALLEN and
MERLIN MANN.
The Problem
Inbox Count
How Many Messages (would you guess)
are sitting in your inbox right now:
!• 0-20
• 21-100
• 101-500
• 500-1,000
• Over 1,000… help!
Email is Just a Medium
Managing Email Means:
!• Convert actions
• Process to zero
• Only 4 folders
Working in Contexts
Context Includes:
!• Writing
• Processing
• On the phone
• Running errands
• In meetings
Multi-tasking
… is a myth
Keep Email Closed
Unless you are acting on it
How Scary Is It To Close
Your Email
For Hours at a Time:
!• Sound like a nice break to me!
• It might freak me out but I’ll
give it a try
• No way! What if I miss
something important?!
How to Act on Email
Delete (or archive)
Delegate
Respond
Defer
Do
Delete
Ask:
!• Will you ever really do anything about it?
• If not, delete (or archive) it
• Don’t feel bad about being realistic
• Any modern email system can handle a
large archive of email (i.e. Google Mail,
MS Exchange)
• Use search to recover archived email
Delegate
Is it more efficient for
someone else
to deal with it? If so,
delegate it, CC yourself,
and place a copy in your
“Waiting For” folder.
Respond
Can you respond in
2 minutes or less?
If so, go ahead and
respond. Then
delete or archive.
Defer
When to Defer:
!• Will it take longer than 2 minutes
to deal with?
• If so, defer it
• Place it in “Action Required” or
“Someday Maybe” folder
• Place it on a todo list (then
delete/archive)
Warning!
Do not let “Action
Required” get out of
control!
Do
Can you act on this
message in 2 minutes or
less? Then DO IT!
!
Then, delete/archive.
Email Actions
Choose One:
!• Delete/archive
• Delegate
• Respond
• Defer
• Do
Four Folders
No More, No Less:
!• Action Required
• Archived
• Someday/Maybe
• Waiting For
Aaaaaahhhhhh…
Mobile?
Considerations:
!• Ok to process inbox
• Make sure mail is synced
• Can make it easy to cheat
• Catch up later
Turn Off Notifications!
Don’t let set your phone to
constantly blow up with new
email notifications. You’ll be in a
state of constant distraction.
Work in Offline
Mode
Eliminate distractions
of incoming email while
you work through
folders.
Migration to Inbox Zero
Steps:
!• Create your 4 folders
• Organize all other folders into them
• Delete other folders
• Freak out
• Set aside a block of time to process Inbox
• Enjoy your state of Zen
How Scary is the Thought of
Eliminating Your Folders?
Freak Out Level:
!• No big deal… when do we start?
• Not sure if I feel comfortable with this
• Yikes! I'm twitching just thinking about it!
• I’ve already logged off of this webinar
because I simply can’t imagine a world
without my 87 folders
Multiple Accounts?
No problem. Use the same
system for each account.
Inbox Zero is Not a
Perfect System
It’s a state of mind
Go Forth
Questions
Contact information:
!• Michael Reynolds: michael@spinweb.net

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Inbox Zero: How to Become an Email Ninja

  • 1. Inbox Zero HOW TO BECOME an Email Ninja Your email management process will never be the same again PRESENTED BY: MICHAEL REYNOLDS
  • 2. Michael Reynolds About Michael: • President / CEO of SpinWeb • Cellist • Sushi connoisseur • Tennis player • Marketing/tech nerd • www.spinweb.net
  • 3. Special Thanks Concepts pioneered by DAVID ALLEN and MERLIN MANN.
  • 5. Inbox Count How Many Messages (would you guess) are sitting in your inbox right now: !• 0-20 • 21-100 • 101-500 • 500-1,000 • Over 1,000… help!
  • 6. Email is Just a Medium Managing Email Means: !• Convert actions • Process to zero • Only 4 folders
  • 7. Working in Contexts Context Includes: !• Writing • Processing • On the phone • Running errands • In meetings
  • 9. Keep Email Closed Unless you are acting on it
  • 10. How Scary Is It To Close Your Email For Hours at a Time: !• Sound like a nice break to me! • It might freak me out but I’ll give it a try • No way! What if I miss something important?!
  • 11. How to Act on Email Delete (or archive) Delegate Respond Defer Do
  • 12. Delete Ask: !• Will you ever really do anything about it? • If not, delete (or archive) it • Don’t feel bad about being realistic • Any modern email system can handle a large archive of email (i.e. Google Mail, MS Exchange) • Use search to recover archived email
  • 13.
  • 14. Delegate Is it more efficient for someone else to deal with it? If so, delegate it, CC yourself, and place a copy in your “Waiting For” folder.
  • 15.
  • 16. Respond Can you respond in 2 minutes or less? If so, go ahead and respond. Then delete or archive.
  • 17. Defer When to Defer: !• Will it take longer than 2 minutes to deal with? • If so, defer it • Place it in “Action Required” or “Someday Maybe” folder • Place it on a todo list (then delete/archive)
  • 18.
  • 19.
  • 20. Warning! Do not let “Action Required” get out of control!
  • 21. Do Can you act on this message in 2 minutes or less? Then DO IT! ! Then, delete/archive.
  • 22. Email Actions Choose One: !• Delete/archive • Delegate • Respond • Defer • Do
  • 23. Four Folders No More, No Less: !• Action Required • Archived • Someday/Maybe • Waiting For
  • 25. Mobile? Considerations: !• Ok to process inbox • Make sure mail is synced • Can make it easy to cheat • Catch up later
  • 26. Turn Off Notifications! Don’t let set your phone to constantly blow up with new email notifications. You’ll be in a state of constant distraction.
  • 27. Work in Offline Mode Eliminate distractions of incoming email while you work through folders.
  • 28. Migration to Inbox Zero Steps: !• Create your 4 folders • Organize all other folders into them • Delete other folders • Freak out • Set aside a block of time to process Inbox • Enjoy your state of Zen
  • 29. How Scary is the Thought of Eliminating Your Folders? Freak Out Level: !• No big deal… when do we start? • Not sure if I feel comfortable with this • Yikes! I'm twitching just thinking about it! • I’ve already logged off of this webinar because I simply can’t imagine a world without my 87 folders
  • 30. Multiple Accounts? No problem. Use the same system for each account.
  • 31. Inbox Zero is Not a Perfect System It’s a state of mind
  • 33. Questions Contact information: !• Michael Reynolds: michael@spinweb.net

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