The objective is simple: an empty inbox ‒ Inbox Zero. But what keeps you from getting to Inbox Zero? What reaction does the term “email” trigger in you? Do you cringe or feel uncomfortable? Are you relaxed, or is something fretting you, saying “there could be something to do in it”? • How many emails do you have in your inbox? • How many folders did you create in your Outlook? • In how many folders you search on average before finding a specific message? Productive handling of email is not a question of the software, it is a question of the method you apply. Let me show you how I deal with email, based on the methodology named Getting-Things-Done.

1. INBOX 0 – 3 THINGS THAT
KEEP YOU DROWNING IN
EMAIL AND HOW TO SOLVE
Dr. Joachim Schlosser www.schlosser.info

2. Objective
Inbox 0

3. What keeps you
from getting to
Inbox Zero?

4. The Cathedral

5. Screenshot: Shannon Clark on Flickr, License CC-BY-SA

6. 5 Folders Only
Prerequisite

7. Email Folders
 @Reply
 @Read Offline
 @Read Online
 Wait
 Reference
 (Travel)
Screenshot: Shannon Clark on Flickr, License CC-BY-SA

8. Method

10. @Reply
Next action  Write

11. @Read Offline
Next action  Read

12. @Read Online
Next action  Click + Read

13. @Wait
Next action  Check in Weekly Review

14. Reference
No sub structure
No next action

15. Using Getting Things Done

16. Email – 4D method
Delete Do Delegate Defer
Photo Credit: shioshvili cc. Photo Credit: Matthew Wilkinson cc. Photo Credit: MizaPhoto cc. Photo Credit: Courtney Dirks cc.

17. 3 Difficulties

18. 1. Difficulty of the 2min Rule
 <= 2min prevents you from rabbit holes
 Use a 2 Minutes Timer
 GTD Timer (Shareware)
 SnapTimer (Freeware)
 Stop after 2min!

19. 2. Difficulty of Decision
 Decision fatigue/ aversion

20. There are just 5 options:
1. Not read, delete
2. Read then delete
3. Archive
4. Reply
5. Do something other than reply

21. 3. Difficulty of Deleting
 Really need to “cover my ass”?
 Use this again?
 Better keep other mail in thread?
Be brave.

22. More Tips

23. Fast Finding
 Keywords
 to:name/ from:name
searches in receiver/ sender.
 subject:topic
searches just the subject line.
 Keyboard Shortcut Ctrl-E

24. Search Folders
 Virtual folders
 Per project
 Per VIP group

25. Group to Email Thread

26. Ignore/Clean up Conversations

27. Quick Steps
 Customized Action on Mouse Click

28. Graphic: Courtesy memo randoms by Jason Franzen of More Simple

29. Things to learn
 Drag & drop emails to create actions & appointments
 Keyboard shortcuts for del, new, move, fwd, reply…
 Writing actions to your list with a verb
 Re-writing email subject lines
 Write down everything
 Trash/delete a lot

30. Resources
 GTD Setup guide as blog post (also in German)
 Other
 GTD Times – Blog of David Allen Co.
 memo randoms by Jason Franzen
 David Allen: Getting Things Done book

31. Objective
Inbox 0

32. Mind like water
www.schlosser.info
www.schlosser.info/category/english
Photo: Joachim Schlosser. License CC-BY-SA.

33. Learn More
 Voranmeldung für das große E-Mail Training
“E-Mail Effektiv”
www.emaileffektiv.com