Friday Feature: Inbox Zero

I have written before about my desire to get to inbox zero, something that will probably happen when pigs fly. So, you can imagine my excitement when I found the article, "Why Inbox Zero is Ruining Our Lives," which echoes many of my sentiments. But, while it begins with the assertion that time spent reducing our inbox to zero could be better spent, it then goes on to explain ways we can aim for that elusive number. I took comfort in the fact that I have fewer emails in my inbox than the author has in his, but felt a little betrayed when he moved on to inbox management.

Luckily, I found "Why 'Inbox Zero' Is a Stupid Time Management Approach" to be more to my liking. It shares the same philosophy -- that we reduce overall productivity by spending perfectly good work time cleaning house, and it further asserts that so much of what's in our inboxes is worth ignoring. 

Don't get me wrong. I think inbox zero is an admirable goal but, having spent much too much time that could have been better spent trying to reach that seemingly unattainable goal, I've decided it isn't for me. Sure, from time to time when the number is too shocking, I'll make an effort to weed out junk and unsubscribe where I can, but I can think of lots of things I'd rather do than spend hours reducing virtual clutter.

And, when I look at that embarrassingly high number, it's nice to know I'm not alone.