Inbox Zero is different from unread zero
Summary
- Mails in our inbox that are read still take a toll on our attention. We may end up reading them multiple times.
Details
- Mail once read should be processed accordingly, leaving our inbox completely at zero. For example, mail that goes into a work management tool would be sent there immediately. Mail that goes into a communication tool would be sent there or to other recipients. and so on.
References
Quotes
It’s important to note that Inbox Zero is very different from Unread Zero. A lot of people read all the emails they have in their inbox and think they’re at Inbox Zero—but they’re not. Even if you’ve read every email in your inbox, they’re still occupying your attention and using your brainpower. An inbox full of emails you’ve already read means you’re scanning the same information over and over again. If you open up your email and you have no new messages, how much time do you think you’d spend looking at your inbox? You might think you’d spend no time at all, but the reality is that you are going to look at past emails and get distracted, even if it’s just for a few seconds—although chances are good you’ll be distracted longer than that.