I assert that it’s actually less effort to maintain your email inbox at zero than to maintain it at 300 or 3,000. Will it take effort? Of course. But there is gold to be mined there with a trusted practice that will have ripple effects across your workflow and motivation.
Tag Archives: Empty Inbox
What do you consider is your work?
The stress many people feel can be directly attributed to the avoidance of daily and weekly catching up—with the flood of emails, voice mails, meetings, projects, and other informational and actionable items.
GTD Nuggets – Getting your email to zero
Scanning an email and leaving it in “In” because it’s not as important as other emails at the moment creates double reading, double thinking, and double decision-making (not to mention the nagging it creates in the psyche in the meantime.) – David Allen
Is Gmail’s Priority Inbox anti-GTD?
Google announced Priority Inbox today and the emails started flooding in asking, “Isn’t this anti-GTD?” Google says that Priority Inbox “automatically identifies your important email and separates it out from everything else, so you can focus on what really matters.” So, what does David Allen say about this kind of tool and the questions about …
Take a poll about your Smartphone
A contribution from Eric Mack with ICA, developers of the “GTD Enabled” application eProductivity for IBM Lotus Notes Does your employer block productivity apps on your BlackBerry, iPhone, or Android Smartphone? With the recent discussions about Apps and how consumers want the freedom to find, evaluate, and purchase Apps for their Smartphones, I wonder how …
Digging out from backlog
The next Webinar on GTD Connect will be “Digging Out From Backlog”. Two of our senior coaches will give you tips, tricks, and strategies for dealing with your piles of “stuff”. If you feel like your backlog is holding you back from getting the most out of GTD, this Webinar is for you. Free to …
Tips for managing email with GTD
A GTD’er wrote to us to ask what resources we have for helping her manage email. She wrote that email is “vying for top ten on my list of overwhelming.” Here’s what one of our coaches shared: There are a few excellent resources from the David Allen Company for applying the GTD methods to your …
Getting to the bottom of your inbox
Dear David Allen: Where do you find the time to go through the hardest parts of your Inbox (I seem to have a lower layer that never gets finished — notes from meetings that need follow up that are important but not urgent etc.)? DA: You’re trying to use your Inbox as your organizer, and …
Inbox Zero is Not a Myth
We are often asked, “Does GTD stick long-term?” Here’s a great demonstration from GTD’er Steve Fogel: It is a great thing to have this as the standard and comfort zone. I would say in the last six months, I’ve consistently been here. What’s cool about GTD, is when you get here, it’s the starting point …
How to get to Inbox Zero
A new GTD’er wrote to David Allen and asked: My dear husband thinks you keep your Inbox to zero by not posting your email address on the internet and/or by having assistants respond to your email. I disagree. What say you? David responded: You keep your Inbox to zero by dealing with whatever shows up …
Tricks for capturing Waiting For emails
One of the key buckets in your GTD system is Waiting For. So what’s the biggest creator of Waiting For? Sent emails. Sure, you could slog through your Sent folder for which ones you actually need to make sure to track, but that’s like searching for a contact lens on the beach. Good luck having …
Giving more attention to your kids than your BlackBerry
We wanted to share this amazing letter from Kevin, who recently attended a GTD Mastering Workflow class. He describes what he did after the class, including a wonderful experience of connecting with his daughter. For those of you feeling like you’re in “always on” mode in your work and personal life, Kevin’s story may be …
Continue reading “Giving more attention to your kids than your BlackBerry”
When email becomes a two-headed monster
Q: I think email is becoming a two-headed monster. It is vital but more and more people ignore them, don’t read fully etc. How can we move forward with accomplishing goals in this environment? Are there ideas you can offer regarding effective corporate communications and task handoffs? David Allen’s answer: Essentially email is no different …
Getting the most out of Gmail
The better you are at using a tool, and the more you love the tools you use, the more effective they will be for your GTD system. David Allen has said time and time again, learn at least the basic speed keys for the tools you use the most, so the tool is not slowing …
Can GTD help with too much email volume?
In my earlier blog post about getting your email inbox down to zero, GTD’er Gil asked the question, “So, what do you suggest when the problem seems to be the sheer quantity, not just mail management practices?” There are two things I would look at: Speed + Input One angle to consider is to get …
How to weed wack your inbox down to zero
If you’ve ever tasted Inbox zero, you know there’s no going back. It’s a powerful reference point in mastering GTD. The key is knowing how you did it, and how to repeat it on a regular basis. (Yes, it’s not just about getting it there once–anyone can do that with Ctrl+A, Delete. ) The answers …
When your desk becomes your Inbox
Ever have your desk (or office or house) become your Inbox? Paul Garth, Director of Technology for the David Allen Company, recently moved his office space. For a short while, his entire desk was his Inbox. We couldn’t resist taking before and after photos. As David Allen says, GTD is not about never being out …
Getting Email Under Control
Getting Your Email Under Control by David Allen Managing the flood of email messages that most of us need to interact with on a daily basis is a growing challenge. No one’s volume is diminishing. That “beast is out of the barn,” and we’re not going to be able to shove it back in! So, …
