Way Wrong Zero

merlin:

“Because, what I have proposed—the thing that’s helped thousands of people around the world get their work and life straightened out—is simply to accept that finding the time to check for new mail (or new anything, for that matter) should also mean finding the time to make a simple, one-time decision about what each new item means to you. That’s it. Then you get back to your life. Done. Boom.

At the highest level, this just boils down to an easy decision: either 1) you DO something about the message, or 2) you transform it into future verb that goes somewhere other than the inbox, or 3) you just get rid of it.

The notion is that by doing this once (and, yes, all the way to zero) at any time we collect new stuff, we are acknowledging scarcity and accepting that the only responsible way to deal with any future stuff is to first dispense with the old stuff as soon as we can. Otherwise we’re just pushing bits. Old bits. And that’s not only not Inbox Zero, that’s not even work.”

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As a long time 43 Folders reader, I think this is Merlin’s most concise exposition of what the Inbox Zero methodology actually is.  I guess a year of writing a book will tend to hone things down to their pith.

Source: merlin

153 Notes/ Hide

  1. kohlgill reblogged this from merlin
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  3. rayadorman reblogged this from merlin and added:
    MM defends his turf...very well thought...graceful...
  4. dbwilldo reblogged this from merlin and added:
    Oops. Looks like someone wasn’t paying attention during class. Make sure...original post...
  5. tattle reblogged this from merlin and added:
    comment. Somehow...doubt they do. merlin:
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  11. cottonm reblogged this from merlin and added:
    love, love, love...Merlin writes. He’s...his words &...