Is Inbox Zero a Waste of Time?

Inbox zero is such a seductive proposition. Inbox zero was popularized by productivity gurus as an efficient approach to email. The idea is that you want to maintain your inbox with zero - or as close to zero - messages as possible.  For most people, this becomes a daily metric to track their own productivity. And, I'd argue it's a vanity metric.  It's seductive because it makes you think you're being productive, efficient, and valuable at work. But it's just a veneer of productivity. Inbox zero comes with real costs. Namely, it takes away your focus from the work that really matters. (Which, in most jobs, is not responding to email.) This week, we explore the lingering "productivity myth" of inbox zero, and better ways of managing your inbox. What You'll Learn:  Why  inbox zero seems so efficient The real costs (and opportunity costs) of trying to maintain inbox zero Take a page from domestic management - would you ever try to maintain laundry hamper zero? Better ways to manage your inbox To learn more, visit The Mental Offload.