How To Get To Inbox Zero Everyday With
SaneBoxDelete | Delegate | Defer | Respond
| Do
An average person today spends 13
hours/week processing email – that’s 30% of
our working time spent on a completely
reactive activity! And “doing email” is only in
your job description if you’re doing customer
service.
Inbox Zero is not just “having no emails in
your Inbox”, its’ also a process for how to
achieve that state consistently.0
1. Delete/ Archive
WHYI f y o u c a n t e l l b y t h e s u b j e c t l i n e a n d s e n d e r
t h a t t h e e m a i l i s n o t i m p o r t a n t - j u s t d e l e t e
o r a r c h i v e i t w i t h o u t o p e n i n g . I t ’ s c r i t i c a l t o
p r o c e s s u n i m p o r t a n t m e s s a g e s i n b u l k . I t
w i l l n o t o n l y s a v e y o u c o u n t l e s s h o u r s , b u t
w i l l p r e s e r v e y o u r s a n i t y.
HOWS a n e B o x fi l t e r s u n i m p o r t a n t e m a i l s i n t o t h e
S a n e L a t e r f o l d e r , w h e r e y o u c a n s c a n t h e m
b r i e fl y , m o v e t h e o n e s t h a t d e s e r v e a t t e n t i o n
b a c k i n y o u r I n b o x a n d h i t “ d e l e t e a l l ” o r
“ a r c h i v e a l l ” . Yo u r I n b o x i s s a v e d o n l y f o r
i m p o r t a n t e m a i l s .
PRO TIPI f y o u n e v e r w a n t t o h e a r f r o m t h e S e n d e r
a g a i n , d r a g t h a t e m a i l t o S a n e B l a c k h o l e a n d
a l l f u t u r e e m a i l s w i l l g o s t r a i g h t t o t r a s h .
I t ’ s l i k e u n s u b s c r i b i n g , o n l y e a s i e r.
2. Delegate
HOW
I f t h e r e i s a p o o r s u c k e r w h o c a n d e a l w i t h s o m e
o f y o u r e m a i l s - b y a l l m e a n s , f o r w a r d i t o n . B u t
h o w d o y o u k n o w f o r s u r e i f t h e y g e t i t d o n e ? O n e
h e l p f u l t o o l i s S a n e b o x’ s S a n e Re m i n d e r s f e a t u r e .
J u s t B C C 3 d a y s @ s a n e b o x . c o m ( o r
d e c . 3 1 @ s a n e b o x . c o m , o r
m o n d a y. 9 a m @ s a n e b o x . c o m o r a n y o t h e r
t i m e f r a m e ) , a n d i f y o u d o n ’ t h e a r b a c k f r o m t h e
t h e m b y t h e n , w e ’ l l s e n d y o u a r e m i n d e r.
PRO TIPA d d “ k e e p ” t o t h e a d d r e s s
( k e e p . 3 d a y s @ s a n e b o x . c o m ) a n d y o u ’ l l g e t a
r e m i n d e r w h e t h e r o r n o t y o u g e t a r e s p o n s e
SUPER PRO TIP
C C t h e r e m i n d e r a d d r e s s i n s t e a d o f B C C ’ i n g i t f o r
a d d i t i o n a l p r e s s u r e
3. Defer
I f a n e m a i l i s n o t u r g e n t , o r n o t a c t i o n a b l e u n t i l
l a t e r , m o s t p e o p l e t e n d t o l e a v e i t i n t h e I n b o x . I t
f o r c e s y o u t o s u b c o n s c i o u s l y p a y a t t e n t i o n t o t h a t
e m a i l e v e r y t i m e y o u s e e i t , w h i c h i s t e r r i b l e f o r
p r o d u c t i v i t y.
S a n e B o x’ s S n o o z e F o l d e r h e l p w i t h t h i s t o o . J u s t
d r a g a n e m a i l t o S a n e To m o r r o w, a n d i t w i l l
r e a p p e a r i n y o u r I n b o x t o m o r r o w m o r n i n g a s
u n r e a d . Yo u c a n a l s o c r e a t e f o l d e r s t o h o l d e m a i l s
u n t i l n e x t M o n d a y , o r a n y o t h e r t i m e f r a m e . ( O r
y o u c a n a l s o j u s t f o r w a r d i t t o a r e m i n d e r a d d r e s s
s a m e a s a b o v e a n d w e ’ l l p u t i t a t t h e t o p o f y o u r
I n b o x w h e n t h e t i m e c o m e s ) .
4. Respond
WHYI f a n e m a i l i s r e a l l y u r g e n t , o r i f a r e s p o n s e w i l l
t a ke u n d e r 2 m i n u t e s , r e p l y r i g h t a w a y. D o n ’ t
p o s t p o n e o r w a s t e t i m e t h i n k i n g o f w h a t t o d o
w i t h i t . S a n e Re m i n d e r s c o m e i n h a n d y h e r e t o o
i f y o u n e e d t o m a ke s u r e t h e r e c i p i e n t g e t s
b a c k t o y o u b y a c e r t a i n t i m e .
PRO TIP
O u r Re m i n d e r s a r e r e a l l y q u i t e m a g i c a l – t h e y
w o r k a n y w h e r e y o u s e n d e m a i l s t h e s a m e w a y
( o n y o u r p h o n e a s w e l l a s d e s k t o p ) , a n d c a n d o
l o t s o f s t u ff . Fo r e x a m p l e , y o u c a n u s e t h e m t o
s e n d r e m i n d e r s t o y o u r f u t u r e s e l f – e v e n
r e c u r r i n g r e m i n d e r s ( e . g . s e n d a n e m a i l t o
e v e r y. Fr i d a y. 4 p m @ s a n e b ox . c o m w i t h s u b j e c t
“B r i n g fl o w e r s t o t h e w i f e ” a n d y o u r m a r r i a g e
w i l l b l o s s o m ) .
5. Do
Lastly there are emails that actually
require you to do work. This is the one
part SaneBox can’t help you with. But if
you are diligent with the steps above, the
only “Do” emails in your Inbox are the
ones you will work on and process today.
Drowning in Email?Take back control with SaneBox!
Get Started Today