how to get to "inbox zero"

most e-mail address users think they know how to get through this "dreaded" way of "outreach", but that's it ... they think they know!

often I see something like this:

Inbox (42,590)

while mine usually says this:

Inbox (0)

make no mistake, my "archive" would look something like this:

Archive (42,590)

so, do others not know anything about:

• "deleting"?
• "archiving"?
• "snoozing"?

most long-time Gmail "inbox" holders still somehow have no inkling of "archiving" and "snoozing"!

"deleting" past e-mails

this first step of "deleting" old e-mails might get rid of thousands of e-mails all at once:

• find "e-mail addresses" that typically send out "disposable content"
  • the wording in these would almost always have "end dates"
    • e.g. "sign up for this offer by the end of 2016!"
  • most often, they come from online shops and "world news" outlets
• find the "search tool" and key in the e-mail handle
• "delete" all the e-mails that show up
  • i.e. they will end up in trash from where you can "delete it forever"!

it won't happen overnight but after some legwork, the "inbox" will clean out :)

"sieving" present e-mails

once everything cleans out, go through the "inbox" at least every night or two:

• "delete" e-mails that you won't look at again
• "archive" e-mails that you have read and "done" but will look at later
• "snooze" e-mails that you will need "to do" on a later day or time
  • you can always "snooze again"

nothing should stay in the "inbox" at the end of a "going through"!

"readying" for later e-mails

when you clean out your "inbox" each time, it makes things quicker the next time around ... your inbox will later only have:

• new e-mails
• the things on which you had earlier hit "snooze"!

anything old will stay in the "archive" or go into the trash...

soon, even you will wait for the next e-mail and fight it with cunning and speed!