Inbox Zero vs Constant Email Checking

I stopped chasing Inbox Zero a long time ago. Not because I gave up, but because I realized..it’s a trap. Executives spend 3+ hours daily in their inboxes and 800 hours a year reading, sorting, and responding to emails. If I focused on zeroing their inboxes, I would keep them busy and unproductive. The real goal is decision management. My job as an EA isn’t to clear emails; it’s to clear mental clutter so my executives can focus on what actually moves the needle. Here’s how I do it: ✅ Protect their focus – Not every email deserves their attention. Filters, VIP tags, and automated rules keep the noise out. ✅ Prioritize what matters – Urgent? Flagged and surfaced. FYI? Summarized and stored. Useless? Gone before they even see it. ✅ Make decisions easier – Drafting responses, summarizing long threads, and cutting out unnecessary back-and-forth means my exec spends minutes in their inbox, not hours. An inbox isn’t a to-do list; it shouldn’t feel like a second job. The best inbox isn’t empty; it’s under control.

Inbox Zero isn't about email. It's about ownership. I've followed Inbox Zero for 12+ years, and I swear by it. It all started in 2013 with an iOS App called "Mailbox." Here's how I do it. Every single day without fail: My 6-Step Inbox Zero System 1. Time-blocked checks I check emails only 3 times a day.  Not continuously. Never reactively. 2. Quick triage I read each email and ask: Does this need my action? 3. If yes & quick (<5 mins) I act immediately, such as accepting a meeting invitation. Then I move the email to a labelled folder. 4. If yes & not quick (>5 mins) I schedule it based on urgency. It remains in my inbox as an active task until I complete it. Then I file it under a labelled folder for future reference. 5. If someone else should act I forward it with clear context and ownership. Then I file it away. 6. If no action is needed I delete it. Ruthlessly. The Outcome? My inbox stays at 0–5 emails max. Everything else is: - Moved - Delegated - Deleted - Or already acted on Why It Works 1. It clears mental clutter 2. It reduces decision fatigue 3. It builds trust. I NEVER miss anything important 4. It protects focus. Email never drives my day 5. It teaches discipline. Small habits, big impact Inbox Zero isn't productivity drama. It's a deliberate system to free your mind for actual work. You won't rise to your goals. You fall to your systems.  Upgrade them relentlessly or stay stuck exactly where you are.

I know this is controversial I quit inbox zero I used to be a zero inbox person. Every email answered, every notification cleared. 𝗜𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲. But here’s the truth: managing an inbox isn’t the same as making an impact. Inbox zero doesn’t guarantee impact. It’s not about emptying your inbox; 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀. Over time, I realized my focus was going to the wrong place. Clearing emails became a substitute for prioritizing the work that truly mattered—high-impact work that drives results, supports my team, and aligns with long-term goals. Now? 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗴𝗼 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘅 𝗭𝗲𝗿𝗼. Here are 7 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘅 𝘇𝗲𝗿𝗼 and how to communicate effectively: 1 - 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗘𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 Your time is valuable. Learn to differentiate between urgent, important, and irrelevant. ↳ Action: Create rules to auto-sort low-priority emails and archive irrelevant ones. 2 - 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱 ≠ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 Replying instantly can derail focus. High-impact work rarely happens in your inbox. ↳ Action: Batch process emails at set times during the day to stay in control. 3 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗜𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 Vague emails waste time. ↳ Action: Clarify requests before jumping in: “What’s the specific outcome you’re looking for?” 4 - 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗢𝗞 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 Saying “yes” to every email request spreads you too thin. ↳ Action: Respond with alternatives like, "I can’t help, but I can connect you with someone who can.” 5 - 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗜𝘀 𝗞𝗲𝘆 Lack of clarity creates confusion and back-and-forth emails. ↳ Action: Proactively share updates, ask pointed questions, and set expectations. 6 - 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘅 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀’ 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 Emails are to-do lists written by someone else. ↳ Action: Review incoming requests and ensure they align with your goals before taking action. 7 - 𝗜𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘅 𝗭𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝗜𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹—𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗜𝘀 An empty inbox won’t matter if you’re not driving results where it counts. ↳ Action: Prioritize deep work over reactive responses. Focus on outcomes, not outputs. Remember: Communication isn’t about checking off emails—it’s about advancing the work that matters most. 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: What’s your strategy for managing incoming requests effectively? Share your strategies in the comments ⤵ ---- ♻️ Repost and share these leadership tips ➕ Follow me, Ashley VanderWel, for more 📲 Book an anonymous coaching session

There was a time when getting my inbox to zero was an actual goal of mine. It was specific, it was measurable, it was attainable, it felt relevant (getting back to people quickly is important to me), and it was time-bound. But it was a terrible goal. Truly terrible. One that with the benefit of hindsight I can say I never should have had. A study by the University of California, Irvine found that it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get yourself back on track after being interrupted. TWENTY THREE MINUTES! And every ding of an email is just that, a distraction, even if it's an important one. If you haven't become intentional about time blocking your day, try this to get started with an easy (but significant!) step. Ready? Here goes. Turn off your email. Right now. That's it! You can do it! You really can :) Then plan out 30 minutes in the morning, mid-day, and the end of the day to check emails. You'll be able to get back to everyone within just a few hours and not only will you have time to think, to plan, to do deep work that simply cannot happen when it takes 23 minutes to get back on track every time an email comes in, you may even find that responding to them all at once in blocks is a lot more efficient in an of itself. What are your thoughts on this? Tell me when you have your time blocked to reply to LI messages :). #intentionality #intentionalityinbusiness #professionaldevelopment #timemanagement #timemanagementtools #timeblocking #performanceimprovement

Why 'Inbox Zero' Is making you less productive... The most productive people I know have thousands of unread emails. Research shows 'messy' executives outperform organized ones by 37% (Redden et al., 2023). The most productive people I know have messy inboxes. Here's why: 1. Your brain doesn't like empty spaces. It prefers patterns. Ruthless effective filtering can occur when you see the patterns. 2. Organizing data has a high neurobiological cost. Every quick email check depletes the same neurochemistry you need for deep work and high-leverage moves. 3. Inbox zero burns a lot of time, drains cognitive resources and delivers almost zero strategic value. What high performers do instead: 1. Use aggressive filters 2. Accept "mess" in low-leverage areas 3. Save mental energy for deep work 4. Focus on impact over organization Remember: Your productivity isn't measured by what you clean up. It's measured by what you create. Optimize for impact, not for organization. #bewell #bemessy