The Inbox Zero Method is the best way to deal with thousands of unread emails

In general, Tank has not invented anything new. Inbox Zero was created a long time ago by writer and blogger Merlin Mann, and it's a proven and well-known method. Approximately the same technique of working with documents was described by David Allen in his book "How to get things in order". Tank just adapted it for the Gmail web interface.

Aytekin Tank entrepreneur, founder and CEO of JotForm

I receive and send hundreds of emails every day. But at the end of the day, my mailbox is invariably empty. I have no secretary to handle my correspondence. I adhere to a principle called Inbox Zero. This is not difficult.

Tank lists the benefits of the Inbox Zero method:

You won't miss an important message if your inbox is empty.
You will not make your addressees wait long, because you can immediately respond to their letters.
Hundreds and thousands of unread letters will not accumulate in your mailbox.
You will save more time on the really important tasks and not spend hours fiddling with email.

I know many people who carefully store all their letters without deleting a single one. As a result, their inbox is starting to look like a Twitter feed. It is not comfortable. You will constantly get lost in emails.

Aytekin Tank

Let's say you're using Gmail - although this method can be adapted to any ISP (Hotmail, Yandex, Yahoo) or email client (Outlook, Thunderbird, or Sylpheed). Let's take a look at the deposits of unread messages and get started.

1. Empty your mailbox

So, with the Inbox Zero method, you must act decisively. Open "Inbox", select all the letters that have accumulated there and archive them all at once. To some, this will seem like sheer madness, but Tank recommends doing just that.

You need to start with an empty mailbox. This guide won't help you if you have tens of thousands of emails in your Inbox. So archive everything and start with a clean slate.

Aytekin Tank

2. Process your emails in chronological order

To develop this healthy habit, you need a certain amount of discipline. As you process your emails, start with the oldest message and work your way up to the newest. This way you will keep chronological order and will not get confused.

There are two functions to help you handle emails in Gmail:

Turn on Auto Switch. To do this, open "Settings" → "General", find the item "Auto switch" and activate it. Now, when replying or archiving an email, Gmail will not return you to the inbox, but will display the next email. This way you will be able to process letters one by one in the order they were received, without any distractions.

Then enable the Send and Archive button if you don't have it. Open "Settings" → "General" and look for the item "Show button" Send and archive "in response". This will save you time. After all, if you have already replied to the letter, there is no point in storing it in your Inbox, right? Click on the send button and the email will automatically be archived.

And here's another important thing:

Don't use email as chat. There is nothing worse than spawning long reply chains from constantly quoted letters. If you need to talk, use messenger, Slack chat, or contact by phone. E-mail is not suitable for this.

Aytekin Tank

3. Answered - archive

The main rule of the Inbox Zero method is that your inbox is not the place to store your mail. All emails in the inbox must be processed immediately. Read them one by one and either reply and archive if the message requires a response, or simply archive if the message does not require a response.

If you cannot immediately respond to an email, there are two options:

Save it to your organizer app. It could be Evernote, OneNote, or some kind of task manager. Set a date so that the program will remind you to write your answer at the right time.
If you can write a response right away, but the addressee should receive it after a while, use the delayed delivery feature in Gmail. Outlook, Thunderbird and other clients can do the same.

4. Just do it

Everything is according to the precepts of the great and mighty David Allen. If the email requires an action that will take a few minutes, just do it now. Don't copy the letter to your to-do list. Don't leave it in your inbox.

If you need to make a payment, just make it now. If you need to send feedback to a colleague, send it right away. If the case takes a couple of minutes, there is no point in postponing it.

Aytekin Tank

5. Use keyboard shortcuts

The keyboard shortcuts significantly reduce the time spent processing e-mail. With them, you do not have to move the mouse cursor back and forth. Tank recommends remembering and using three hotkeys:

The E key allows you to quickly archive a message. We read it, pressed E, archived it. It's simple.
The R key is used to quickly write a response. If you need to answer a letter, press it, enter the answer, press Enter.
The F key forwards received letters to other recipients.

I don't think you need any other hotkeys. In Gmail, I only use three keyboard shortcuts. For everything else, there is a mouse. But these hotkeys allow you to quickly perform three of the most common email actions, so they can save you a lot of time.

Aytekin Tank

6. Set up filters

Email Filters are an incredibly handy tool that does a lot of the work for you. You just need to configure them once, and they will save you a lot of time.

If you regularly find unimportant letters in your Inbox (notifications of Internet services, automatic mailings, etc.), then either unsubscribe from them, or set up filters so that such letters are archived automatically.

7. Inbox is empty - close mail

When you're trying to focus on your work, you shouldn't be constantly distracted by email. So let's stick to the rule: When your inbox is empty, close the Gmail tab or your email client and forget about mail for the next few hours. Just get busy.

Turn off all incoming email notifications. They are very distracting.

You can open your mail again after a few hours, process the messages that have accumulated there, and then get back to work. The goal of the Inbox Zero method is to force yourself not to be distracted by incoming emails. You have to manage your mailbox, not you.

Aytekin Tank

If you have tried the Inbox Zero technique and are ready to tell you what you have done, or want to suggest a better method, write in the comments.