Inbox zero
Empty the inbox by deciding once where every message goes
Work the inbox oldest first, touching each message once. Reply if that takes a moment, otherwise route it to a calendar, a task list, a notes app or a read-later queue, then archive. The inbox becomes a queue rather than a filing cabinet. Most of the time saved comes from not rereading the same email six times in a week.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Tiago ForteDoes it
Productivity writer · Building a Second Brain
Oldest email first, one decision each about where it goes, calendar or task manager or notes or read-later, then archive. By his own time tracking that came to 17 minutes a day, roughly 7 percent of his working hours over a year.
Source: fortelabs.com: One-Touch to Inbox Zero“I spend 17 minutes per day on email, or 7.43% of my total work time over the past 12 months.”
fortelabs.com: One-Touch to Inbox Zero (opens in a new tab) · 28 Dec 2015
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under productivity or stress.
- HabitFREE, no cost
Journaling
Writing to unload the mind, usually first thing or last thing
On record from 14 of 62 tracked people: 13 do it, 1 recommends it - HabitFREE, no cost
Deliberate discomfort
Choosing the thing you do not want to do, daily, as its own training
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 2 recommend it - HabitFREE, no cost
A high savings rate
Bank a large share of income by spending well below what the income allows
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - HabitFREE, no cost
Accountability mirror
Telling yourself the blunt truth in the mirror every day, then fixing it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
Act on the thing causing stress
Make the first call or send the first email on whatever is nagging at you
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
Asking for help
Four words, can you help me, used on purpose rather than as a last resort
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it
Habit entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.