Habit #2: Process

“Quickly decide what to do with incoming items, don’t postpone.”

What should you do with everything you’ve collected? You process it, making quick decisions for each item and directing it to its destination until all your inboxes are empty and every piece of information, idea, or thought collected in your notes has been processed.

Step 1: Minimize inboxes

Reduce the number of inboxes to the minimum necessary to work effectively:

1. List all channels through which you receive information

   • Evaluate the contribution of each and find ways to combine or eliminate inboxes
   • If something doesn’t bring you any value, consider eliminating it from your life
   • Assess if you can do without it for a week without missing it

2. Combine different information streams into a single inbox

   • For example, in how many places in your home do you collect incoming documents? Make sure you have just one folder
   • Do you have four email accounts? Check if you can converge all emails into one inbox

3. The fewer inboxes you have, the better. Aim to have a maximum of 4 to 7

Step 2: Manage inboxes

Every inbox should be checked and managed at least once a day. Some containers (like emails) need to be examined multiple times a day, but it shouldn’t become obsessive.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Proceed from top to bottom, making quick and immediate decisions. Start at the top of the pile of material that arrived in the inbox and decide immediately. Don’t skip it, don’t set it aside postponing the decision.

2. Destroy. If you don’t need it, delete it. Make this your first choice.

3. Delegate. Are you the person who should handle this? If not, send the document to someone else and remove it from your plate.

4. Do it now. If the task requires 2 minutes or less, do it immediately rather than adding it to your to-do list.

5. Defer. If it requires more than 2 minutes, add it immediately to your to-do list to handle later.

6. Archive it. If it’s something to consult in the future, archive it immediately. Don’t use a Miscellaneous or To Archive folder: that means postponing the decision. Don’t let material to be archived accumulate: archive it right away. In any case, don’t leave anything in the inbox.

7. Destroy or archive. Proceed to examine all the material until the container is empty.

   Note: if when you start this habit your inboxes are overflowing, don’t get discouraged. Temporarily put all the inbox contents in a folder that you’ll work on later (and schedule a couple of hours to do so). Start with empty inboxes and keep them that way from now on.

8. Repeat the process. Keep inboxes constantly empty. If you’ve minimized their number, it shouldn’t be too tiring. Celebrate when the inboxes are empty! It’s a wonderful feeling.

Inbox Zero for Emails

Emails are often the main accumulation point for inputs. “Inbox Zero” is a methodology for keeping your inbox empty or nearly empty.

Decision workflow for emails

1. Archive immediately - Most messages will be notifications, emails where you’re in copy, newsletters, etc. Take a look and archive.

2. Reply, then archive - If the response is brief (under 2 minutes), it’s better to do it immediately. If you need to check that the request is handled, it’s better to create a reminder.

3. Add to calendar, then archive - For every event, commitment, or appointment.

4. Create a task, then archive - For actionable items not related to a specific time.

5. Send to notes app, then archive - For non-actionable items you don’t want to lose.

6. Send to read later app, then archive - For non-urgent, non-actionable things you want to read/watch/review, but aren’t sure about keeping.

Remember: don’t check emails continuously, set a time to do it and turn off email notifications.

Next habit: Plan →