Inbox Zero

How to Stop Checking Email and Start Finishing It

Join the movement of people just like you in reaching the long sought after and mythical inbox zero - the state of having an empty email inbox and the ability to focus at will on people and projects that truly matter. In a world of instant availability, the relentless and irresistible need to constantly be checking email has grown to consume more than 5 hours a day from professionals of all types. To solve this digital dilemma, Ian Charnas begins by revealing the addictive properties of email that lure us away from developing vital relationships and achieving important long-term goals. Reaching inbox zero, a term popularized by productivity experts David Allen and Merlin Mann, requires us to explore the hidden forces that chain us to our inboxes, and to discover the surprisingly simple strategies needed to defeat them. By drawing on decades of social science insights, this book presents a three-step solution to achieve inbox zero that empowers you with the ability to: 1. Pause your inbox to silence low-value distractions 2. Quickly process an entire day's email in one batch 3. Rebuild the full power of your focused attention