september 22, 2011 your email, your attention, and your life. inbox zero martin j. wagner
TRANSCRIPT
September 22, 2011
Your email, your attention, and your life.
Inbox Zero
Martin J. Wagner
September 22, 2011
Statewide IT Conference 2011
© 2004–2011 Merlin Mann
• Creator of Inbox Zero, 43 Folders• Original Slides and Video • Follow @inboxzero• “So, you can use and share this stuff with
our blessing; just please don’t sell it, mangle it, or claim it’s your own. That would be douchey.”
Who is Martin J. Wagner?
• UITS Enterprise Software Project Manager in Web Tech Services
• Kelley School of Business Adjunct Faculty
• Purdue School of Engineering & Technology Graduate Student
September 22, 2011Statewide IT Conference 2011
Inbox Zero
September 22, 2011Statewide IT Conference 2011
Assumptions
• Most of your correspondence is on email• You have stuff to get done and only so
much time to do it• “Mental Context switching is evil”• You want to be in the zone
September 22, 2011Statewide IT Conference 2011
5.0 and Go!
1. If you don't need to read it now, it shouldn't be in your inbox.
2. If you've already responded to it, it shouldn't be in your inbox.
3. Filter it automatically.
4. No more than once an hour.
5. Stick with it
September 22, 2011Statewide IT Conference 2011
Mental Context Switching
September 22, 2011Statewide IT Conference 2011
DEMO
September 22, 2011Statewide IT Conference 2011
September 22, 2011Statewide IT Conference 2011
September 22, 2011Statewide IT Conference 2011
Your Goals
• Limit what comes in• Create email folders or buckets in email• Put a weekly review on your calendar• Create Tags, Rules, and Filters• Process your inbox daily• Get to zero items in your inbox every day
September 22, 2011Statewide IT Conference 2011
Limit what comes in
• Safe unsubscribe• Create a filter for any email that has
“unsubscribe” in the text.• Use a personal email account and a
professional account.
September 22, 2011Statewide IT Conference 2011
Email Buckets
• “As many that are useful”• Five Must have buckets• 1) Trash wasn’t that easy?• 2) Next Action• 3) Reference• 4) Follow up weekly The “tickle”
bucket• 5) Someday / Maybe
September 22, 2011Statewide IT Conference 2011
Weekly Review
• Schedule it! It has to be blocked off on your calendar or you will not do it.
• This is hyper focus / Do not disturb time• Tasks:• 1) Check all buckets.• 2) Follow up, it has been a week• 3) Create meaningful tasks• 4) Use your calendar!
September 22, 2011Statewide IT Conference 2011
September 22, 2011Statewide IT Conference 2011
Filter that inbox, smart!
• Filter the emails that are not actionable, if it is only for your information, tag it.
• Example: Family, predictable emails, newsletters, information junk food, Woot daily deal, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, YouTube, Netflix, the list goes on and on and on…
September 22, 2011Statewide IT Conference 2011
Now what?
September 22, 2011Statewide IT Conference 2011
I’d rather see GTD than to hear about it.
Sermons We See
Statewide IT Conference 2011
September 22, 2011
Demo
• Gmail account setup• Create buckets• Turn on Multiple Inbox in Labs• Configure Multiple Inbox
September 22, 2011Statewide IT Conference 2011
September 22, 2011Statewide IT Conference 2011
Achievement Unlocked!
September 22, 2011Statewide IT Conference 2011
September 22, 2011
Your email, your attention, and your life.
Inbox Zero
Martin J. Wagner