📥 How to Achieve Inbox Zero + Maximize Productivity

Well, hello there. 👋

Two of my favorite creators, Codie Sanchez and Jay Papasan, recently sounded off about Inbox Zero. While I respect 🤝 their perspectives and agree with their points, achieving Inbox Zero has been a game-changer for my headspace and productivity.

In today’s issue, I'm going to break down how to systematically achieve Inbox Zero, automate its maintenance, and maximize your productivity in the process.

Achieving Inbox Zero can greatly reduce stress and overwhelm, enhance focus, and improve efficiency, which saves time for more important actions.

Unfortunately, many people struggle to achieve inbox zero due to overwhelm and not knowing where to start.

Inbox Zero isn’t the goal. It’s simply a strategy to boost your mental energy and ultimately, your productivity.

Learn how to leverage technology more, to use technology less.

HOW TO GET STARTED, STEP BY STEP:

1. Prioritization + Time Management ⏲

2. Organization + Automation 🤖

3. The Road to Easy Street 🚗

Step 1: Prioritize Your Inbox Settings 📥 + Timeblock Email Processing ✅

Prioritize your most important daily tasks and time block accordingly.

By doing so, you'll ensure that constant email checking doesn't disrupt your revenue-generating actions or big rocks (priorities).

I typically start my work around 7:30 or 8 AM, so I intentionally don’t check my email until 10 AM. The world can wait. I briefly review my calendar for the day, then open my CRM to begin prospecting and following up with hot leads and nurtures, based on tasks I’ve previously set in the system.

Once I’ve completed all of my most important tasks, I can jump into my email.

If you either have an inbox like this 👇 or have seen one way worse…

You probably have this reaction…

Here’s what to do first to fix it. A touch of pre-work.

Go into Settings, Inbox, then change Inbox type to “Unread first.” I use “Show up to 50 items” and “Hide section when empty,” but it’s your call. Everything else will go in a second section below Unread, all in your Inbox. Click Save.

This will also remove your "Social," "Promotions," and "Updates" inbox tabs, which will streamline your inbox and prevent you from missing anything critical.

Having this in place will set you up for success once your inbox is zero.

Step 2: Create Labels & Filters 🏷 + Add a Pop of Color 🌈

Alright. This is it. The moment you haven’t been waiting for. 🙃

Complete this simple process and you’ll feel as free as Nick Cage’s mullet in the ocean breeze. Skip it, and, well, you’ll continue to feel that invisible weight on your shoulders, wearing you down, making you too tired to win the day. 😔

Choose the breeze, my friends. 🌬 🧔🏻‍♀️

Over the next 30 days, during your daily, designated time block for email, review each email and do the following:

1. Create filters and labels to automatically categorize incoming emails. This will help you identify and prioritize messages more efficiently. For example, you can create labels for clients, projects, or specific topics.
   

2. When in each new email, click the 3 dots for “More” above the email and select “Filter messages like these.” When this 👇 modal opens, click “Create filter.”

3. Click “Choose label” next to “Apply the label” and either select an existing label or create a new one. Mine are created by Sender. Simple.
   

4. Be sure to also check “Also apply filter to # matching conversations." Click “Create filter.”

5. You’ll be taken to your inbox with all emails from that sender and after a short delay, they’ll all be labeled. Now, Select All and Archive.

6. This is also a great time to unsubscribe from all emails you no longer wish to receive. Bye! ✌️

Pro Tip: Left of your Inbox, you can also Edit Labels (click those 3 dots next to the corresponding label) to add a “Label color.” I would only use these for clients, leads, and other important labels to further stand out in your inbox.

Since it’s rare that a sender’s frequency wouldn’t be daily, weekly, or monthly, by the end of 30 days, you should be close to Inbox Zero. From there, you can use the Search Bar to pull up all emails from remaining senders (clients or vendors from past transactions, etc.) and select all, label, and archive.

This should get you to Inbox Zero. Once you hit bottom, you’ll feel a glorious relief and be ready to take on the world. 🚀

Now, as new emails enter your inbox, most will automatically be labeled and ready for a brief review and action before archiving. For new Senders you haven’t already processed, repeat the steps above for each, making those automated going forward as well.

In my experience, you may not hit zero again, however, you’ll likely always be within an hour of it should you really want to get there. No need though.

Your email is now organized and automated, and you can be confident you won’t miss anything important or be overwhelmed by thousands of unread emails. 🙌

Step 3: Template Everything + Schedule It 📈

You did it! 🌟 Now you can leverage this new efficiency to maximize your productivity.

Utilize your new priority inbox to review any new Unread emails and use Snooze to punt anything that’s not urgent and important. You can also open Google Tasks on the right of your Gmail and drag and drop emails into Tasks and set a due date, whichever method you prefer.

Embrace keyboard shortcuts and Templates. Familiarize yourself with Gmail's keyboard shortcuts to perform actions quickly. Shortcuts are an incredibly underused timesaver.

Templates are probably my all-time favorite feature. Create templates for commonly used responses to save time and ensure consistency in your replies. All you have to do is quickly personalize the email, and send it.

Another underutilized feature is the ability to Schedule emails. For those whose focused work is during non-business hours, click the arrow to the right of Send and click “Schedule Send” to send emails to clients or colleagues at better or more appropriate times, allowing you to time block your productivity and remain professional.

Inbox Zero can unlock a more productive and organized approach to email management.

Imagine a decluttered digital workspace, improved communication, and the ability to focus on what truly matters.

Take control of your inbox, maximize your productivity, and experience the rewards of efficient email management.

ONWARD TOGETHER.

Everyday Insights 👀

What I’ve been reading this week.

• What is personalization? [McKinsey]

• Instagram Adds Search Ads Placement into its Marketing API

• Instagram Ranking Explained

• An Overview of Instagram Ad Formats [Infographic]

• An Overview of Facebook Ad Formats [Infographic]

In The Weeds 🌾

Additional resources for you to dive deeper.

• Tips to optimize your Gmail inbox

• Send pre-written emails with email templates in Gmail

• Create an email message template in Outlook

• Manage email messages by using rules in Outlook

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