This article was originally published in The Simplifier #54. The Inbox Zapper

By Shawn Tuttle

Disorganization is frequently a mass collection of decisions waiting to be made. Consciously or not, the unanswered questions “Where should I put this?” and “Where is _____ ?” and “What needs to happen first with this?” result in mail, files, and papers strewn on your desk, floor, and every other horizontal space available. These amorphous lumps of questions sit around in piles for weeks. Since we tend to avoid the things we don’t want to do, like clear out a monumental disaster area, and the single next step isn’t flashing in neon lights, the weeks stretch into months.

Facilitating your quest for more ease, efficiency, and an organized office, an effective inbox system simplifies your workflow in several ways. In addition to providing a smart destination for incoming papers, engaging the following thought process sharpens your decision-making skills. Making quick and effective decisions minimizes the time you spend on low-priority activities.

Let’s make dealing with your incoming info as simple as possible. The process described below sounds rather simple. Don’t let that fool you. The power of the “Inbox Zapper” isn’t in the step-by-step actions taken, but in the thought process which sharpens and focuses your mind.

Think about a successful executive type. Do you think they labor and mull over what to do with and where to put pieces of paper? No! They make rapid decisions about the minor things and save their brain juice for (or delegate) the complex things.

Here’s a little secret: if you were to hire me to organize your disaster-zone office, we’d follow this same process with your backlog of papers and out-of-place items.

It’s very simple once all the parts are in place. Keep in mind that what you are developing is a swift and decisive thought process. The words in bold represent systems or containers to have in place in order to get through the process. You can go to the video store, rent a DVD, come home, and put it in your DVD player, but it won’t do any good if the DVD player isn’t connected to the TV. Every part is essential for success.

My flow chart is inspired by David Allen’s “workflow diagram-processing” in his book Getting Things Done. The difference? This version is simpler and geared for the self-employed person who doesn’t have anyone to delegate to.

The basics: all incoming papers collect in your inbox. In a block of time dedicated to this activity, you zap each item in the inbox—meaning, you identify what it is, determine what needs to happen with it, and move it to the next stage of its cycle.

Zapping the inbox

This is a mono-tasking activity that should be done once or twice a week so that nothing gets “stale”, or worse, overdue. When you stay caught up, zapping your inbox should only take 15-30 minutes. It’s a mono-tasking activity because you want to give your brain the freedom to go into decision-making mode without distraction.

Steps to follow:
(See—and print out—our handy chart to help with this process.)

1. pick up the top item in your inbox
2. identify what it is
3. answer the question, “What do I need to do with this?”
   1. if it is outdated or unnecessary, recycle it 
   2. if it represents a quickie action (2 minutes or less) do it right now
   3. if it is informational and should be kept, file it (meaning file it, not put it somewhere to file later)
   4. if it represents a longer than 2 minute action, identify the next step, write it on a stickie or on the paper itself, and put it in your take action folder. Critical items that must be done today or tomorrow go in a HOT! take action folder.

Those four options will cover the majority of what passes through your inbox. The remaining items may ask for a little creativity. Some of the additional destinations that have come up for clients include:

• an “upcoming events” folder for maps, reservation info and directions, 
• name-specific folders for items that go to a single person, for example, “For Jim”, and
• a memorabilia folder for items that have sentimental value 

Tips for increased success:

#1 Focus 
Pick up and deal with one, and only one, item at a time. Doing this keeps your mind focused on the task at hand which in turn gets it done faster and easier.

#2 Top item next
While it may be tempting to dig through for the “easy” items, maintain the discipline of always picking up the top item. 

#3 Use the inbox as an inbox only
This is simply a designated place to put new incoming papers. It is only for papers and info waiting to be dealt with. 

#4 Easy filing
One of the assumptions which allows this process to flow quickly and efficiently is that you have your filing system under control. When your filing system is under control, naming new files is easy because you are already in the mindset of “Where would I look for this when I need it again?”

#5 Pick up the pace
Keep a Donald Trump attitude through this routine—quick and decisive. Each item should be in your hands for a maximum of 2 minutes. Drop the “what ifs”! You’ve been managing your work long enough to know what’s up with each thing.

Habits to keep the inbox pile small: 

#1 Sort mail
Establish the habit of sorting your mail as soon as you bring it into your office–it literally takes less than a minute to do. 

• Throw junk mail in the recycle bin. (Be tough on the junk mail—no “well, maybe I should see what they have to say…”. Instead, think: “Would Donald Trump waste his time reading this?” If not, toss it. As a precaution to identity theft, remember to put the credit card offers through the shredder.)
• Put bills in your “bills to pay” folder or tray. (By pulling the bills, you give yourself the best chance possible to pay them on time. This is the easiest way to build good credit and avoid late fees.)
• Put magazines in your “to read” area or container. 
• Drop the rest in the inbox.

#2 Dispose of meeting paraphernalia 
Agendas, minutes, reports, and general info from meetings are predictable–they go to the same place each time. These steps should take less than five minutes. 

• Add action items to your ToDo list, (time permitting; do the quick phone calls and emails).
• Put pending items in your pending file.
• File agenda and minutes to the project file or binder. 

Soon after I began processing my inbox this way, I noticed that my office was staying more clutter-free without me thinking about it. This was in part due to the consistent use of the inbox. Even better, the thought process had leaked into other activities, like straightening up at the end of the day. For a while I even had the feeling that this was too easy, that things must be falling through the cracks—but they weren’t. Things were just ending up where they needed to be more quickly, and the “quickies” were getting done sooner. The mass of decisions waiting to be made had dissolved without my noticing. 

Developing an effective and disciplined system for handling your incoming paper work will not only improve the physical organization of your office but will also train you to think more clearly and make better decisions. Talk about simplifying the office experience! 

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Shawn Tuttle is founder of Project Simplify.